Best of 2020
Rebates, renegotiations and non-live content | The year in sports media
The Covid-19 pandemic has been the biggest factor affecting sports media-rights markets in 2020, forcing rights-holders almost everywhere into rebates and renegotiations.
Sports sponsorship industry proves its mettle in the year of the pandemic
Rights-holders and sponsors showed differing levels of flexibility this year as the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to review contractual obligations and rights commitments. SportBusiness Sponsorship editor Matthew Glendinning looks at the way the industry responded to the crisis
2020 | The best comebacks and success stories from a challenging year
SportBusiness regional editors Eric Fisher, Kevin McCullagh and Ben Cronin look back at those rights-holders and properties that adapted best to a year of disruption for the sports industry
YouTube TV loses another sports property after dropping Tennis Channel
Streaming service YouTube TV has lost yet another sports channel to its portfolio after announcing it is dropping the Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned Tennis Channel at extremely short notice
Premier League takes pride of place on Peacock as NBCU’s key weapon in streaming wars
NBCUniversal is actively looking to utilize NBC Sports' premium properties to attract subscribers to its new streaming service and help differentiate the platform from its rivals in the crowded and competitive direct-to-consumer marketplace.
Bundesliga strikes TV deals in Singapore, South Korea and Thailand
Bundesliga International, the league’s international commercial rights arm, has signed off on new broadcast deals in Singapore, South Korea and Thailand ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season on Friday.
Nitto extends ATP Finals deal as financial risk switches to Turin promoters in 2021
Japanese medical products company Nitto Denko Corporation has extended its title sponsorship of the season-ending ATP Finals for five more years until 2025
Premier League pulls plug on PPTV rights deal in China
The Premier League has terminated its lucrative media-rights contract with Chinese streaming platform PPTV after the Suning Holdings-owned broadcaster failed to meet rights fee payment deadlines
NBA draws on Microsoft partnership to reshape virtual fan experience
The NBA has taken fan engagement in the wake of Covid-19 to a new level by allowing at-home viewers to be seen and heard by their favorite players in Orlando. Bob Williams reports
23 Capital winding down activities as Covid hits loan repayments
23 Capital, the London-based lender that rose to prominence by delivering creative loans for the football and entertainment industries, appears to be winding down its activities after revenues across the…
AFC and FMA to renegotiate global rights contract
The Asian Football Confederation and the Football Marketing Asia agency are to renegotiate the terms of their landmark, $2
Southampton turns to Sportsbet.io as ill-fated LD Sports shirt deal ripped up
English Premier League club Southampton has moved swiftly to secure a shirt sponsorship with Sportsbet
Uefa turns to Sky Deutschland for ‘Final 8’ crowd noise
Uefa has commissioned German pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland to produce the crowd noise sound effects for this month’s Champions League and Europa League ‘Final 8’ tournaments.
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MLB season returns to strong ratings
Both ESPN, Fox Sports post meaningful audience gains as league restarts play
Anthony Goddard | Premier League returns with record audiences
Anthony Goddard, head of media research, Publicis Sport & Entertainment, delves into the numbers to see how the UK’s football public returned to their seats for Premier League action after the Covid-19 enforced hiatus.
LiveScore joins UK streaming scene with Serie A, Primeira Liga coverage
Global sports update and results provider LiveScore is to launch its first live streaming service, providing coverage of Italy’s Serie A and Portugal’s Primeira Liga to football fans in the UK and Ire…
Loss-making One Championship gets $70m injection as 20 per cent of workforce cut
Singapore-based mixed martial arts promoter One Championship has raised $70m (€62.2m) from investors while revealing a hefty cut to its global headcount.
NBC streaming service Peacock to broadcast Premier League games this month
Comcast and NBCUniversal’s new Peacock subscription streaming video service will debut live sports later this month when the English Premier League makes its return from the global Covid-19 pandemic.