Football
English Premier League’s Asian juggernaut keeps on rolling
The English Premier League this week concluded the bulk of its Asian rights sales for the next three-year cycle, from 2010-11 to 2012-13, enjoying major revenue increases in the key markets in defiance of the economic downturn.
FASTRACK
Mediapro is close to finalising domestic mobile rights deals for Spanish football’s La Liga, the first such deals to be agreed after a three-year hiatus caused by the football war between Mediapro and Sogecable.
SingTel lands double blow but battle’s not over yet
SingTel’s double victory last week, in agreeing deals for English football’s Premier League and ESPN Star Sports’ bouquet of sports channels, amounts to a changing of the guard in the Singapore market.
Overspill threatens push for cash in China
The collapse of a sublicensing deal designed to boost the English Premier League’s exposure in China has highlighted the difficulties facing the league as it attempts to get both good coverage and high revenues in its next television rights deal.
MP&Silva take on Japanese challenge
MP&Silva was the only agency to succeed in picking up any Premier League rights with deals in Vietnam and Japan.
National team qualifiers still top free-to-air content
No UK broadcasters were willing to show England’s final 2010 World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine but national team matches are still a sure-fire guarantee of big television audiences.
TV Rights Deals 1: Football: Asian English Premier League deals and more
Football: The English Premier League agreed deals across most of Asia for the next three-year period, from 2010-11 to 2012-13
New, flexible EBU the perfect partner for sensible Uefa
The EBU's deal for Euro 2012 rights is the most flexible it has ever agreed for a top-tier international sports rights property and marks a further step in its evolution as it continues to adapt to a different market reality.
FASTRACK
Next week’s bidding deadline for English Premier League rights in most of Asia will kick off a frenzied period of activity for the league, with tenders being issued shortly afterwards in Greater China, Africa, Australasia and Europe.
Will Platini’s new Uefa still feature a future for Team?
Uefa’s decision this month to spin off its commercial activities into a separate company was an inevitable extension of the overhaul by Michel Platini – the latest step in his campaign to reassert the primacy of football over commerce.
Kentaro breaking new ground with online England gamble
Kentaro is confident that a record internet pay-per-view audience will justify its decision to reject offers from mainstream UK broadcasters for the rights to England’s final 2010 World Cup qualifier.
ESPN leans on Premier League for strong start
A study of ESPN’s most watched programmes since its August launch shows its reliance on Premier League content.
Finnish football finds fortune in pay-TV boom
Recent growth in the pay-television market has helped Finland’s top-tier domestic football league gain its first significant rights-fee.
Polsat pumps out football channel as platforms proliferate
Polsat launched a premium football channel last week as part of wider plans to grow its digital platform.
TV Rights Deals 1: Football – EBU’s 2012 deal, English League Cup and more
Football: The European Broadcasting Union acquired the rights for Euro 2012 in 36 countries in a deal with Uefa, European football’s governing body.
FASTRACK
NRK has been forced to offload its 2010 football World Cup rights to pay-broadcaster Viasat in the face of mounting costs for next year.
Premier League hones Asian media
The Premier League has made a number of small but significant modifications to its Asian rights invitation to tender in response to how the media landscape has changed since it last went to market .
Agencies line up for territory-split Serie A
The international rights for Italy’s Serie A will be split into three territories – Europe, Asia and the Middle East and the rest of the world.