BeIN Media Group, the Qatari broadcaster, has hit out angrily at media reports suggesting beIN Sports channels are being blacked out in the Middle East and North Africa as a consequence of the Saudi Arabia-led economic blockade of Qatar. Frank Dunne and Robin Jellis report.
Our latest on Covid-19
Portuguese football facing losses of €266m, warns of ‘collapse’ if league is suspended
Sónia Carneiro, executive director of Liga Portugal, has warned that the teams in the top two divisions of Portuguese league football are facing collective losses of over €250m ($304m) for the 2020-21 se…
NFL caps Super Bowl LV attendance at 22,000 fans
Super Bowl LV at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on February 7 will officially have a capacity of 22,000 fans including 14,500 ticket buyers and 7,500 vaccinated health care workers who will be guests of…
Digitally native | Rights-holders look to replicate NBA’s success in China
China’s sports industry is booming and western rights-holders want a piece of the action. John Reynolds looks at the digital strategies employed by major rights holders.
Flying high
Chinese investment in sport has accelerated over the past year. Sportbusiness International looks at the reasons behind this growing trend.
Serie A pushes back deadline for domestic broadcast rights bids
Italian football’s Lega Serie A has pushed back the deadline for first-round bids in its domestic rights auction for the 2021-24 cycle.
Sky Brasil picks up Copa do Nordeste, MyCujoo streams Carioca preliminaries
Pay-television broadcaster Sky Brasil has acquired pay-per-view rights to the knockout Copa do Nordeste tournament in Brazil
Sky NZ lands ARG, Motorsport Australia rights, Motorsport.tv offers streaming
Pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand has agreed a deal to be the exclusive broadcaster in the country for Australian Racing Group and Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship events in 2021
Australia’s Marron Media, Sports Flick sign deal to distribute Nicaraguan league rights
Marron Media, the Australia-based sports media agency co-founded by former International Cricket Council media rights manager Lara Richards, has struck a five-year deal to distribute live rights to Nicaraguan…
India’s Asian Cup bid signals burgeoning ambition to be a sporting power
All India Football Federation president Praful Patel says hosting the 2027 Asian Cup will hasten India's big ambitions in football and sport more generally.
International Women’s Cup unveils plan to become direct rival to Relevent’s Women’s ICC
SportBusiness speaks to John Reynal, the founder of Onside and FXE Futbol, about the strategy behind the IWC and the potential threat of legal action from Relevent Sports.
The Premier League waits for sun to shine on chilly UK media market
The Premier League usually auctions its domestic media rights halfway through its three-season cycle, but Covid has uprooted its plans. Callum McCarthy examines the likely bidders and the league's hopes for an uplift in the value of the rights.
Jason Siegel | 48-team Fifa World Cup raises the stakes for 2026 host cities
Jason Siegel, president and chief executive of Greater Orlando Sports Commission, argues that the city’s experience in staging closed-door NBA and MLS games puts it in a strong position to host matches at the 2026 Fifa World Cup