Covid-19
NBC Sports’ Bevacqua eyes return to normalcy for sports TV ratings
Pete Bevacqua, newly promoted to chairman of NBC Sports, said he believes that sports ratings on American television will return to more normal patterns following the impending conclusion of the country’s p…
Premier League lining up ‘solution’ to contentious PPV model
The Premier League has said a “broadcast solution” will be announced in due course amid multiple reports its controversial pay-per-view model introduced last month will be scrapped.
LFP seeks bank loan to cover TV rights shortfall, puts onus on Mediapro ownership
France’s Professional Football League (LFP) has reacted to delays in its next media-rights payment from Mediapro, the agency and production group, by looking to put in place a bank loan so that clubs c…
Covid-19 bursts China bubble amid changing political, economic winds
China’s sports media-rights market is in the throes of a major correction, with the OTT platforms that have driven growth in the last five years seeking to renegotiate a string of deals.
UK government pushes Premier League to televise all behind-closed-doors matches
The UK government is urging the English Premier League to ensure all matches are televised during the 2020-21 season so long as fans remain unable to attend
EPCR’s revamped 2020-21 plans offer glimpse of future commercial cycle format
Format changes implemented to the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) include elements that the organising body is looking to introduce during the next commercial…
Cable operators pull Ecuadorian league coverage amid GolTV dispute
Ecuadorian cable television operators CNT TV, Claro TV and TV Cable have ceased broadcasting the Ecuadorian Serie A, the top tier of domestic club football, amid a dispute with the rights-holder, pay-television…
Virgin Media pulls feed from Eir platforms in sports content standoff
Virgin Media has suspended the supply of its sports channels to fellow Irish telco Eir over a payment dispute, leaving the latter’s customers without access to Uefa Champions League football coverage.
WWE pegs ratings declines on lack of live audiences
World Wrestling Entertainment, facing increased investor pressure amid falling TV ratings, blamed its ongoing viewership challenges on the lack of in-person audiences for its events
NWSL draws record 653,000 TV audience for NWSL Challenge Cup final
The National Women's Soccer League broke its domestic television ratings record for the second time in a month over the weekend, when the NWSL Challenge Cup final drew an average audience of 653,000 viewers…
Fox Sports to use virtual fans during Major League Baseball broadcasts
Fox Sports has revealed it will utilize virtual fans during its Major League Baseball broadcasts in the widespread absence of spectators at games during the rescheduled season
Covid-19, betting factor boost Russian Premier League rights on Hong Kong return
The Russian Premier League has secured a strong fee from pay-television platform i-Cable for its media rights in Hong Kong.
Thai football league season in doubt amid broadcast spat
The Football Association of Thailand has written to the country's clubs to ask whether they want to play the remaining games of the 2020 season, and warned that they face a drop in funding due to sponsorship…
ORF plans Tokyo 2020 remote production amid cost cuts
Austrian public-service broadcaster ORF will turn to remote production where possible for its coverage from next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo as it continues its cost cutting plan in the wake of the C…
CBS “thrilled” with NWSL Challenge Cup
CBS said it is "thrilled" with the quality and excitement of the National Women's Soccer League Challenge Cup and the reception of fans to network's coverage of the event
Serie A clubs opt against pulling signal from Sky in rights fee stand-off
The 20 clubs from Italian football’s top-tier Serie A have decided against withholding the signal from Sky Italia, the pay-television broadcaster and rights-holder, over an ongoing row over the payment o…
Fox Sports features artificial crowd noise at MLS Is Back Tournament – unlike ESPN coverage
Fox Sports has announced that its broadcast coverage of the MLS Is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida, will feature artificial crowd noise