News
French football keen to douse fiery response to TV deals
The majority of French clubs have sought to calm the rhetoric emerging from some counterparts in response to the heavily criticised Ligue 1 rights sales as ructions begin to emerge with private equity investor CVC.
SA government steps in to quell South African rugby row
South Africa’s ministers for communications and arts and culture are to attempt to resolve the conflict between MultiChoice, eMedia, which owns free-to-air satellite platform Openview, and public-service broadcaster SABC.
Saints, Spurs to market crypto sector on jerseys
Premier League pair Southampton FC and Tottenham Hotspur have turned to the cryptocurrency sector to fill key shirt sponsorship voids for the new season
One-season renewal for EuroLeague and DAZN, Sky Italia
Euroleague Basketball has renewed its Italian rights deals with subscription broadcasters DAZN and Sky Italia but only for the 2024-25 season, having previously signed long-term deals in the country.
Key commercial hire for Kosmos’ Kings League
Sports and media group Kosmos has hired Gorka Herrero Nebot from LaLiga as its international commercial director and head of global partnerships
FSG abandons Bordeaux bid, citing Ligue 1 woes
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) has blamed the “general economic context of French football” for ending its discussions to buy Ligue 2 club Girondins de Bordeaux.
Fifa starts over with Club World Cup rights tender
Fifa is inviting bids for broadcast rights to its revamped Club World Cup in different international markets after negotiations over a global streaming deal with Apple broke down
Euro 2024 triumph delivers RTVE most-watched match in 12 years
Viewership numbers soared during the Euro 2024 final in both Spain and the UK last night with RTVE netting its highest football audience since the Euro 2012 final.
Florida State wins right to open up ACC-ESPN TV contracts
US college sport's Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has been ordered to hand over its media-rights agreements to Florida State University (FSU), which is continuing its break-away bid
China moves into UCI WorldTour with XDS-Astana Qazaqstan deal
Astana Qazaqstan states the draft agreement provides for long-term investment for a period of at least five years and financing at the level of leading WorldTour teams.
EFL steps up content push with documentary RFP
The English Football League has issued an RFP for a documentary series as it builds on its latest international media rights deals and turns to content creation to boost the profile of its clubs in the US market.
IMG to identify AFA sponsors in APAC, supplants Wanda in China
The Argentinian Football Association has appointed IMG as its exclusive sponsorship agency in the Asia Pacific region (APAC), as part of a two-year deal that will run from 2025 to 2026.
Court rules FC Barcelona must abide by Nike contract
Nike is one of the club’s three top-tier sponsors, but president Joan Laporta in March ramped up the pressure on its kit supplier to either quit or pay more.
Albania’s TV Klan lands 2026 Fifa World Cup rights
TV Klan, the private television channel in Albania, has acquired exclusive rights to the Fifa World Cup in 2026.
Ligue 1 clubs accept DAZN-beIN bids, kill off channel plan
Clubs from France’s Ligue 1 finally have oversight of domestic broadcast rights revenues after they voted to approve five-year deals with DAZN and beIN Sports but remain in talks over escape clauses.
Uber splits strategy in new deals with LaLiga, Como
Uber has split its approach to its latest European football sponsorship deals, turning to its Uber Eats food delivery brand to sponsor Spain’s LaLiga but marketing its main ride-hailing app business in a shirt deal with Serie A side Como 1907.
IOC, Saudi Arabia in 12-year hosting deal for Olympic Esports Games
Saudi Arabia's emergence as the home for the esports and gaming industry has been underlined by the International Olympic Committee today awarding the country hosting rights to its new Olympic Esports Games event.
‘Employee-employer’ relationship to be tested in US college sport
A US appeals court has ruled that some college athletes may qualify as employees under federal wage laws, in what is another setback to the National Collegiate Athletic Association in its long-running…
MGM Resorts-Yankees deal to support full casino licence bid
MGM Resorts International has chosen its MGM Resorts brand to become a 'Proud Partner’ of the New York Yankees in a move linked to the awarding of up to three full commercial casino licences in the New Y…
Wimbledon becomes first grand slam on Tennis TV
A grand slam has been broadcast on Tennis TV for the first time after ATP Media's OTT subscription streaming service stepped in to provide coverage in New Zealand of this year's Wimbledon, which concludes on Sunday.