Broadcast

Disney Sports complex to become ESPN-branded - 14 May 08

Walt Disney World Resort and ESPN are joining forces to re-brand Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex with the ESPN brand.

ESPN wins US Open Tennis rights - 13 May 08

US broadcaster ESPN, has acquired the rights for the US Open tennis tournament in a six-year, $140 million deal from 2009 to 2014, with the US Tennis Association.

Olympic channel won’t debut before Beijing - 12 May 08

A new 24-hour television channel run by the US Olympic Committee won't debut before the 2008 Beijing Games in August.

Cricket is Australia's number one TV sport, says poll - 8 May 08

Cricket is the most-watched sport on television in Australia, according to a poll by Melbourne-based market research company, Roy Morgan.

IMG strengthens digital media team with two new hires - 7 May 08

IMG Digital Media appointed Clive Baker as Chief Technical Officer, IMG Digital Media and Angela Kyle as Commercial Director, IMG Digital Media.

European IPTV demand grows at 250 per cent - 6 May 08

The number of households worldwide using IPTV services grew from 4.7 million in 2006, to more than 14 million lat year, according to a report by analysts Parks Associates and demand for IPTV services grew by 250 per cent in Europe last year.

Fox Sports and Nine secure ICC rights - 6 May 08

Australian broadcasters, Fox Sports and the Nine Network, agreed a four year deal with ESPN STAR Sports for TV rights for International Cricket Council cricket events from 2008 until 2011.

MP & Silva acquires FIVB Olympic Qualification Tournament rights - 2 May 08

MP & Silva acquired the exclusive media rights to the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Women’s and Men’s World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo, Japan from Dentsu.

NBC agrees largest major network broadcast of equestrian sport - 2 May 08

US network, NBC, acquired the broadcast rights for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games from the World Games 2010 Foundation.

NASN and ESPN Classic launch on Turkish platform - 1 May 08

The North American Sports Network launched today on Turkish DTH platform, DSmart. ESPN Classic is set to follow on June 1.

Japan Consortium wins Olympic broadcast rights - 30 Apr 08

The Japan Consortium, an association of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and NAB (The National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan), has acquired the Japanese broadcasting rights for the Vancouver 2010 and the London 2012 Olympic Games from the International Olympic Committee.

Czech sports channel to launch - 30 Apr 08

A new Czech sports channel named Sport 5 is set to make its debut this Friday

NBC sports to air US Open in primetime - 30 Apr 08

NBC Sports will schedule the final round of this year's US Open golf tournament in primetime for the first time thanks to the event’s west coast location.

SportAccord TV prepares for launch - 30 Apr 08

SportAccord 2008 will showcase exclusive interviews with sports industry leaders fat this year's event inon the new SportAccord TV.

Promising outlook for Indian pay-television market - 28 Apr 08

The Indian pay-television industry is projected to generate revenues of $11.2 billion by 2012, according to a report by Media Partners Asia.

Bundesliga clubs approve TV deal for Cup games - 24 Apr 08

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF, and pay-broadcaster Premiere, acquired the TV rights for the German domestic football cup in a three-year deal, worth €50 million per year.

Live Current Media wins BCCI and IPL website rights - 18 Apr 08

Canadian new media company Live Current Media Inc acquired the exclusive online rights for the Board of Control for Cricket in India and cricket’s Indian Premier League in a ten-year deal worth $50 million.

Championship of Darts signs up for internet distribution - 18 Apr 08

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and Perform, the digital sports specialists, launched the Championship of Darts - the first ever darts tournament to be solely broadcast on and funded by internet distribution.

TPSA to launch new Polish sports channel - 16 Apr 08

Polish telecommunications company, TPSA, is set to launch a new pay-television sports channel in August.

FOX Sports to show Australian test matches - 16 Apr 08

Australian sports network, FOX Sports, agreed a deal with Indian sports marketing agency, Nimbus Sport International, for the rights to show exclusive live coverage of Australia’s four Test matches during their tour of India in October 2008.

IEC in Sports signs further ATP Events and 5 Nations Rugby - 16 Apr 08

IEC in Sports renewed its deals with three important ATP events: the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Estoril Open in Portugal and the BA-CA Tennis Trophy in Vienna.

UEFA Cup deal for Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei - 15 Apr 08

UEFA awarded the media rights for the 2009-2012 UEFA Cup in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei to Astro – a leading Pay TV operator in the region and UEFA’s current media partner for the UEFA Cup.

Olympic advertising space sells despite protests - 14 Apr 08

US Olympic broadcaster, NBC, has sold three-quarters of its 2008 Games advertising space at strong prices, despite recent protests surrounding the torch relay.

Eurosport 2 reaches 30 million mark - 14 Apr 08

Pan-European broadcaster, Eurosport 2, passed the 30 million home mark, three years after its launch.

UEFA awards Champions League rights in India - 14 Apr 08

UEFA has awarded the exclusive 2009-12 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup media rights in South Asia to its current media partners - Ten Sports and Zee Sports.

Zee and Ten win Champions League rights - 11 Apr 08

Indian pay-television providers Ten Sports and Zee Sports acquired the exclusive media rights for the Champions League, from 2009-12 and the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Uefa Cup.

MLB agree Yahoo deal - 11 Apr 08

Yahoo agreed a two-year deal with Major League Baseball Advanced Media for the rights to show subscription-based live games and sell video ads for MLB.TV in 2009 and 2010.

Spain competition watchdog queries football deals - 10 Apr 08

Spain's Competition Commission opened proceedings against broadcasters and Primera Liga football clubs over the sale of TV rights.

CJ Media wins Champions League rights for Korea - 10 Apr 08

CJ Media acquired the TV rights for the UEFA Champions League and Super Cups in Korea from 2009-2012.

DirecTV sponsors the IndyCar Series - 8 Apr 08

US broadcaster DirecTV agreed a multi-year deal to become the Official Sponsor for the IndyCar Series.

Socceroos games to be added to anti-siphoning list - 8 Apr 08

The World Cup qualifying matches of the Australian national team, the Socceroos, will be shown on free-to-air television after the Australian government agreed to add them to the anti-siphoning list.

KSE acquires ITV’s stake in Arsenal Broadband - 8 Apr 08

Kroenke Sports Enterprises acquired a 50 per cent share in Arsenal Broadband Limited, the broadband service of English Premier League club, Arsenal, for around £65 million.

Setanta calls off sale - 7 Apr 08

Irish pay-television broadcaster, Setanta Sports, abandoned plans to sell itself after potential buyers balked at the £1 billion asking price.

MLB games to be shown on-demand for the first time - 7 Apr 08

Major League Baseball is to allow regional sports networks to offer replays of their live baseball matches on demand for 24 hours after the game.

French handball receives four bids - 7 Apr 08

The French handball league, Ligue Nationale de Handball, said it had received four bids for its TV rights from 2008 to 2011.

Joost extends deal for English Premier League clips - 2 Apr 08

Online TV platform, Joost extended its distribution deal with Nimbus Sport International for English Premier League internet clips.

NPB games to be shown in Korea - 2 Apr 08

Sports marketing company, Total Sports Asia, and Korean broadcaster, MBC ESS Sports, have acquired the exclusive media rights for a number of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball games.

News Corp set to increase stake in Premiere - 1 Apr 08

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is expected to increase its 19.9 per cent stake in German pay-television group Premiere.

SABC agrees public-viewing World Cup 2010 deal - 1 Apr 08

South Africans will be able to watch 2010 Fifa World Cup matches free via national broadcaster SABC at public viewing events and in bars after the SABC agreed a deal with FIFA.

Kentaro to market Austrian national football rights - 1 Apr 08

The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) agreed a deal with the Kentaro Group for the international marketing of its TV rights.

ADD secures IPL TV rights - 31 Mar 08

Arab Digital Distribution acquired the exclusive TV rights for the DFL Indian Premier League in the Middle East and North Africa in a ten-year deal.

PA Sport to Partner Sport and Technology: The Conference 2008 - 31 Mar 08

Sport and Technology: The Conference 2008, in association with BT Media and Broadcast, is pleased to welcome PA Sport as Digital Partner to the industry-leading event on June 13, 2008 at BT Centre in London.

Telstra acquire share of Olympic rights - 27 Mar 08

Australian telecommunications provider, Telstra, agreed a $9 million deal with the Seven Media Group to show exclusive live coverage of the Beijing Olympics on its BigPond mobile service.

BBC agrees new Wimbledon contract - 27 Mar 08

The BBC secured the rights to broadcast Wimbledon until 2014 in a new five-year deal which incorporates TV, radio, broadband and, for the first time, BBC iPlayer.

BBC expected to bid for test cricket rights - 27 Mar 08

The BBC is planning to bid for at least some rights for live English test match cricket when the auction opens for the next four-year contract, likely to be next month.

Nimbus launches cricket web portal - 26 Mar 08

Indian media and entertainment company, Nimbus Communications, is set to launch a new cricket web portal to offer streaming of live matches.

Singtel grabs Champions League TV rights for Singapore - 25 Mar 08

Singtel acquired the exclusive Champions League TV rights from 2009-2012 in Singapore.

UEFA expected to finalise UK Champions League rights - 19 Mar 08

UEFA awarded a major package of UEFA Champions League media rights for 2009-2012 in the UK to pay-broadcaster BSkyB and is expected to award the remaining rights tomorrow after it invited a second round of bidding.

Australian government opens anti-siphoning talks - 19 Mar 08

Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said discussions have begun about which sports should be made available to subscription broadcasters.

IOC Member to Speak at Sport and Technology: The Conference 2008 - 19 Mar 08

Sport and Technology: The Conference 2008, in association with BT Media and Broadcast, is delighted to announce that IOC member Patrick Baumann, Secretary-General of FIBA (the International Basketball Federation), will be joining the 'Maximising Digital Sports Rights: Show Me the Money' panel discussion at the must-attend event on 13 June 2008 at BT Centre in London.

March Madness scores record ad sales - 17 Mar 08

Total advertising spend around this year’s ‘March Madness’ NCAA basketball tournament could reach around $545 million, according to analysts.

Scramble for UK Champions League rights underway - 13 Mar 08

The first round of bidding for the TV rights for Champions League football got underway yesterday with competition expected to be fierce between the BBC, ITV, Five and pay TV operators Setanta and BSkyB.

Newly formed IGBS wins Asian Games contract - 13 Mar 08

International Games Broadcast Services (IGBS), the newly-named company born out of Doha Asian Games Broadcast Services (DAGBS), was awarded the host broadcast contract for the 1st Asian Beach Games Bali 2008.

Eurosport renews ULEB Cup rights - 13 Mar 08

The Eurosport Group and the Euroleague Basketball, the organisers of the ULEB Cup, extended Eurosport’s existing TV rights agreement through the 2010-2011 season.

Perform and Bigpond launch global Australian sports portal - 12 Mar 08

Perform and Telstra’s BigPond, Australia’s largest internet provider, agreed a deal to launch a global sports portal, Aussie Sport TV, broadcasting top Australian sports.

Advertising revenue for CBS basketball coverage soars - 12 Mar 08

Coverage of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship is expected to generate $450 million in advertising revenue for American network CBS.

FANZ-TV to show arenafootball2 league - 12 Mar 08

Newly launched US sports TV network, FANZ-TV, agreed a one-year rights deal with the arenafootball2 league for the 2008 season.

Bundesliga TV deal could be under threat - 11 Mar 08

The €3 billion agreement between the German Football League (DFL) and Leo Kirch's KF 15 group to market the TV rights for Bundesliga matches could come under pressure after a move by cartel authorities.

Eurosport launches in High Definition - 11 Mar 08

Eurosport is set to launch a simulcast channel in HD to cover all major sporting events for which it holds the rights in 2008, starting with the French Open at Roland Garros.

Soccerex announces ‘The Inside Story’ panel - 11 Mar 08

As the commercial side of the game continues to evolve and create increasingly lucrative revenue streams, Soccerex has put together a panel that will offer a distinctive insight into the business of football.

ESPN Star sports renews rights for golf’s Masters - 7 Mar 08

ESPN Star Sports acquired the TV rights across Asia for the Masters for next three years, from 2008 to 2010.

Record Olympic and Euro Champs TV audiences expected in 2008 - 6 Mar 08

The European Football Championships and the Olympic Games in 2008 will create an interesting battle for TV audience between Asia and Europe, according to Eurodata TV Worldwide.

SPORTELAsia 2008 succeeds in Shanghai - 6 Mar 08

A total of 594 participants, representing 304 companies from 46 countries worldwide, attended this week’s SPORTELAsia 2008 at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai, China.

Eurosport and Channel 4 to show British Superbikes - 6 Mar 08

Pan-European broadcaster Eurosport and commercial broadcaster Channel 4 secured the TV rights for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in the UK.

Fox Sports to distribute ‘Free Kick Masters’ - 5 Mar 08

US-based sporting and entertainment events producer, Camelot Island Entertainment, has signed an agreement with Fox Sports International Distribution for the global distribution of the ‘2008 Free Kick Masters’.

Johnson & Johnson showcases US Olympic hopefuls - 4 Mar 08

Health care brand Johnson & Johnson has teamed up with the NBC Olympics to launch a multimedia showcase, which will follow the journey of eight American athletes and their families as they prepare to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Supersport agrees TV rights deal with the Kenya Premier League - 3 Mar 08

Supersport International agreed a four-year $13.5 million deal TV rights deal with the Kenya Premier League.

RCS to offer Giro d’Italia international TV rights to the market - 29 Feb 08

RCS Sport, organiser and rights holder of the Giro d’Italia is considering selling the international TV rights for the tour direct to the market and separately from the domestic rights package.

Perform nets Asian Football digital deal - 29 Feb 08

Perform will launch a digital channel to stream live AFC club and national team football, including FIFA World Cup 2010 Asian qualifiers and AFC Champions League matches.

Ten Sports retains rights for West Indies Cricket - 29 Feb 08

Dubai-based broadcaster, Ten Sports, retained the global media rights for West Indies cricket, excluding the UK, in a four-year, from 2008 and 2012, deal with the West Indies Cricket Board.

CCTV agrees internet partnerships - 28 Feb 08

State-run national broadcaster, China Central Television, agreed partnerships with social networking site MySpace China and online-video site Tudou.com to run an interactive website for the Beijing Olympics.

MP & Silva acquires rights to Juventus Asia-Pacific Tour 2008 - 28 Feb 08

MP & Silva signed an exclusive agreement with Juventus Football Club to organise, market and commercialise the club’s Asia-Pacific summer tour.

Perform launches multi-platform daily sports news bulletin - 28 Feb 08

Perform launched omnisport.tv, the world’s first and only fully produced multi-platform daily sports bulletin, available in multiple formats for daily distribution across scheduled TV channels, broadband TV services, mobile TV, video on demand and MP4.

Emmy-award winner to Address Sport and Technology: The Conference 2008 - 28 Feb 08

Sport and Technology: The Conference 2008, in association with BT Media and Broadcast, is delighted to announce that Hank Adams, CEO of Sportvision Inc, will be providing the Opening Afternoon Address at the seminal event on 13 June 2008 at BT Centre in London.

Sky Italia secures 2010 and 2012 Olympic rights - 26 Feb 08

Sky Italia acquired the TV rights for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2012 London Olympic Games in a deal with the International Olympic Committee.

Expectations for UK Champions League TV bids grow - 26 Feb 08

Public service broadcaster, the BBC, is set to join the bidding for the UK Champions League TV rights.

Setanta Sports wins IPL rights - 26 Feb 08

Setanta Sports acquired the UK TV rights for the Indian Premier League's Twenty20 cricket competition in a five year deal with the IPL.

ESPN creates consolidated TV ad sales group - 25 Feb 08

ESPN created a new consolidated TV advertising sales team for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Sky TV delays buyback decision - 25 Feb 08

New Zealand's SKY TV will delay its decision on whether or not to go ahead with a $100 million share buyback as it looks at expansion opportunities.

News Corp increases stake in Premiere - 22 Feb 08

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has increased its stake in German pay-television operator Premiere to 19.9 per cent, adding to the 14.6 per cent it acquired last month.

Ligue 1 invites international TV bids - 22 Feb 08

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) invited marketing agencies to bid for the international rights for Ligue 1 over the next four seasons, from 2008-09 to 2011-12.

Foxtel looks to expand online presence - 21 Feb 08

Australian pay-television broadcaster Foxtel will use its exclusive internet rights for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the 2012 Beijing Olympics to substantially expand its online presence.

MotorSport Vision takes over British Superbike Championship - 21 Feb 08

MotorSport Vision agreed a ten-year deal to take over the organisation and promotion of the British Superbike Championship from Dorna, starting with the 2008 season.

FFA and MP & Silva agree strategic partnership - 21 Feb 08

Football Federation Australia (FFA) appointed the MP & Silva agency, to market and distribute its media rights internationally.

Sony to be taken to court over IPL demands - 20 Feb 08

Four minority domestic investors in Sony Entertainment India, have taken the company to court over demands on them for capital to finance SET's commitments to the upcoming Indian Premier League tournament.

GAA awards TV rights to RTE, TV3, Setanta and TG4 - 20 Feb 08

The Gaelic Athletic Association agreed multi-million euro TV and radio rights deals with RTE and TV3 that carve up coverage of the GAA championship over the next three-years.

Al Jazeera Sports secures Champions League rights - 20 Feb 08

Al Jazeera Sports Channel secured exclusive TV rights for the UEFA Champions League in a four-year deal from 2009 to 2012.

TV3 poised to win 2011 Rugby World Cup Rights - 19 Feb 08

New Zealand commercial broadcaster TV3 is set to secure the TV rights to the 2011 Rugby World Cup according to local press reports.

BT considering bid for Setanta - 18 Feb 08

According to UK press reports, BT is considering making an offer for Setanta, the Irish pay-television company that owns rights to show some live Premier League football.

NBC to offer Chinese and Korean Olympic coverage - 18 Feb 08

The Olympics will be broadcast in Chinese and Korean for the first time ever in the US by US network NBC.

Eurosport Group expands in Central & Eastern Europe - 18 Feb 08

The Eurosport Group agreed a deal with RCS & RDS, a telecoms service provider in Central & Eastern Europe, to extend distribution of Eurosport 2 within the CEE territory.

ESPN STAR Sports launches Olympic coverage - 15 Feb 08

ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has launched the first of five Olympic programmes that will give viewers an exclusive preview of the XXIX Olympiad and all the news as it happens in Beijing 2008.

Sport Industry Awards announce 2008 Shortlist - 14 Feb 08

After a steering committee process involving over 50 key industry figures and 40 hours of intensive judging, the shortlist of entrants for the Sport Industry Awards 2008 has now been announced.

Copa Libertadores TV revenues rise - 14 Feb 08

Traffic Sports, holders of the TV rights for the Copa Libertadores outside the Americas, said revenues from the sale of the competition's rights are up 350 per cent in the last four years.

University of Oregon signs media deal - 13 Feb 08

The University of Oregon extended an agreement for its for multi-media marketing rights with Oregon Sports Network and IMG College in a ten-year, $67.14 million deal.

Pay TV rules under EC review - 12 Feb 08

The European Commission launched a consultation with governments, broadcasters, telecoms operators, rights holders, sports bodies and consumer groups on plans to reform the 10-year-old rules governing pay TV and video on demand in Europe.

New South African TV deal hits NZ and Australia rugby unions - 12 Feb 08

New Zealand and Australia expressed disappointment at the South African Rugby Union’s decision to sell of some of its TV rights previously included in the Sanzar (South African/New Zealand/Australia) agreement.

MP & Silva launch AC Milan mobile site in Japan - 12 Feb 08

Serie A club AC Milan and the MP & Silva agency launched AC Milan’s official Japanese mobile website.

Takeover rumours surround Setanta Sports - 11 Feb 08

Setanta Sports is bracing itself for a succession of takeover bids after an undisclosed European rival reportedly made an unsolicited bid of over €1 billion for the Irish pay-television broadcaster.

Australia's network Ten wins IPL Rights - 11 Feb 08

Australian commercial broadcaster Ten Network acquired the live television rights for all the Twenty20 cricket matches in a five-year deal with the Indian Premier League. Ten is believed to have paid between $10 million and $15 million for the rights.