Football
FASTRACK
A Formula One television rights deal in the Middle East looks set to go down to the wire, with just two weeks left until the season-opener.
Serie A value hangs on EC ruling
An EC decision on the stringent conditions under which Sky Italia is forced to do business will go a long way to determining how the media rights for Serie A football are sold in the next round of deals and how much they are worth.
Telecino fights for matching right as Copa goes to TVE
Telecinco is suing the Grupo Santo Monica agency in an effort to extend its rights for the domestic football cup tournament, the Copa del Rey.
Double Dutch Uefa talks draw blank
Team has been forced to close down the free-to-air sales process in the Netherlands for Uefa Champions League rights, after an extremely poor first-round response from broadcasters.
TV2 Sport safe for now as internet football wars begin
TV2 said that its acquisition of the last remaining package of domestic Tippeliga football rights has secured the future of its premium sports channel, TV2 Sport, for the next two years.
Nova pays up after On Telecom rings off
Nova Sports this week picked up the pay-television rights for the Champions League after an initial deal with IPTV company On Telecoms fell victim to the financial crisis.
TV Rights Deals 1: Football: World Cup, Champions League, Copa del Rey
Football: Pan-African pay-broadcaster Supersport acquired the sub-Saharan pay-television rights for all Fifa events in 2009 and 2010, including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2009 Confederations…
Watchword must be ‘security’ as Uefa kicks off Euro tender
The Sportfive agency’s already strong position will be further boosted if it continues its relationship with Uefa to cover the rights for the Euro 2012 football championships.
FASTRACK
Sony is facing a massive loss on its coverage of India’s cricket tour to New Zealand, which started this week.
ITV asks sport: Can we pay you later?
ITV is trying to renegotiate payment schedules for its key football rights contracts as part of a company-wide drive to battle cashflow problems.
New law is lifeline for Mediapro in TV market crunch
A new Spanish broadcasting law published next month is expected to throw a lifeline to sports rights agency Mediapro.
Orange Sport strategy under threat
A court decision ruling that Orange’s exclusive carriage of its Orange Sport pay-television channel is anti-competitive could prompt a review of its sports rights strategy.
WPP to wind up Global Sportnet
WPP is to wind up German-based sports rights agency Global Sportnet, following the departure of agency founder Thomas Martens, who resigned late last year.
TV Rights Deals 1: Football World Cup, European, African and Brazilian deals
Football: The Sportfive agency acquired the fixed-media rights to Fifa events in a four-year deal with international football’s governing body from 2009 to 2012, including the 2010 World Cup in South A…
Setanta feeling the heat as cut-price strategy backfires
The ability of Setanta to successfully adjust its business model will arguably be the single biggest factor determining the shape of the UK sports rights landscape over the next five years.
Singapore planning to halt Premier League bandwagon
The Singapore government is considering legislation to prevent further escalation in the cost of English Premier League football rights when they come on the market later this year.
FASTRACK
The IAAF has begun a second round of talks for its European television rights after a cut-price opening offer from its incumbent partner, the EBU.
Mediapro takes Asia plunge after agencies say no
The Mediapro agency is set to sell the Asian rights for Spanish football’s La Liga directly to broadcasters across the region after failing to find an agency buyer.