Multi-sport

The European Broadcasting Union consortium of public-service broadcasters has adopted a declaration calling for “sporting events of major importance for society” to be available on a free-to-air basis.

International pay-television broadcaster Eleven Sports Network has secured nationwide distribution in Belgium and has opened up to combat sports for the first time.

The rojadirecta.me website, which has been accused of being a major source of online piracy of sports coverage, has been ordered to halt operations in Spain by this Friday, December 4.

Flow Sports, the new Caribbean pay-television channel owned by telecommunications company Cable & Wireless, has commenced operations, providing the region with its first Caribbean-based high-definition sports network.

Video-sharing platform Dailymotion has entered into a content partnership with cross-platform media network Whistle Sports.

UK media regulator Ofcom has today (Thursday) removed the regulation requiring pay-television broadcaster Sky to offer Sky Sports 1 and 2 on a wholesale basis, stating the decision has been made as the company is now widely supplying these channels to rivals on commercial terms.

Media company NBCUniversal has acquired Universal Sports Network’s rights after the US pay-television sports broadcaster closed down.

Vincent Bolloré, the chairman of Vivendi, has said the media company’s French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus requires up to €2bn ($2.2bn), including a major investment in sport, to remain competitive.

Live-action virtual reality broadcast technology company NextVR has sealed a $30.5m (€28.3m) Series A funding round with participation from leading names in sports and entertainment.

Russian pay-television broadcaster NTV Plus has completed the acquisition of assets held by state-owned broadcaster VGTRK for sports media platform Match TV.

A new television channel dedicated to African sport is set to commence broadcasting in the continent and Europe in January.

The European Broadcasting Union’s chances of winning the rights to the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024 were undermined by two internal splits, TV Sports Markets understands.

UK telecommunications company BT has launched a competition to find entrepreneurs with “innovative digital media and production solutions” which could be potentially trialled by its pay-television broadcaster BT Sport.

InfrontRingier Sports & Entertainment Switzerland, the Infront Sports & Media agency’s 50-per-cent joint venture with Swiss media company Ringier, has appointed Gian Gilli as its new managing director.

Entertainment news channel TMZ is set to branch out into the sports world through the launch of a new programming franchise in partnership with the Fox Sports division of US network Fox.

Dutch cable operator Ziggo has confirmed it will launch a new sports channel on November 12.