Basketball

Basic-tier broadcaster Ma Chaîne Sport has agreed a five-year deal for exclusive rights to events staged by the French Basketball League (LNB) and French Basketball Federation (FFBB).

Lega Basket, which operates the top division of basketball in Italy, has agreed two-year rights deals with state broadcaster Rai and pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia.

The French Basketball League (LNB) has terminated its contract with Canal Plus after the pay-television broadcaster closed its Sport Plus channel.

Sports broadcaster ESPN has said it remains committed to the Australian market despite losing the rights to the Uefa Champions League European club football competition.

US sports broadcaster ESPN has secured a long-term extension to its current media rights agreement with the Missouri Valley Conference college sports league.

US entertainment studio Warner Bros. has signed a content creation partnership with SpringHill Entertainment, a company co-founded by basketball superstar LeBron James.

North America’s National Basketball Association has confirmed a pricing strategy as it expands the remit of its out-of-market live game service, NBA League Pass, to allow fans to purchase single game and individual team packages for the first time from the 2015-16 season.

US sports broadcaster ESPN has extended its rights deal with the Southern Conference college sports organisation.

Pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has launched four dedicated sports channels in the African market.

Hungarian public-service broadcaster MTVA has launched a new free-to-air television channel entitled M4 Sport.

US network ABC will receive more primetime sports on weekends following a new partnership struck with sports broadcaster ESPN covering the NBA basketball league.

Lega Basket, which operates the top division of basketball in Italy, will begin private discussions with two bidders for the competition’s rights.

Media rights clips from June 25 to July 8

Pay-television broadcaster Sky Mexico has retained rights to the Euroleague Basketball club tournament in Central and South America and the Caribbean basin.

The Learfield Sports agency has agreed a 10-year extension to its partnership with the MSU Athletics division of Missouri State University.

Media rights clips from June 11 to 24

Euroleague Basketball has signed a four-year partnership with IMG under which the agency will represent its live streaming, fastpath data and sponsorship rights in the betting, casino and gaming category for global and aggregated commercialisation of the Euroleague and Eurocup club competitions.

The National Basketball League’s new executive director, Larry Kestelman, has said he is “cautiously optimistic” about securing a broadcast rights deal for the Australian club competition as he seeks to revive its fortunes.