Media
SA Rugby to set up commercial unit with investor ASG
South Africa Rugby is to establish a commercial vehicle to manage its media and sponsorship rights after striking an agreement with Ackerley Sports Group (ASG), a new unit of the US investment firm
Foxtel’s Ebitda down 14 per cent amid high rights costs
Australian pay-television broadcaster Foxtel has recorded a 14-per-cent drop in earnings, citing increased media rights fees for sports properties as a key driver of the loss
DAZN to distribute Courtside 1891 internationally in six-year Fiba tie-up
DAZN has followed up its 10-year deal to distribute NFL Game Pass with a similar agreement to carry the International Basketball Federation’s (Fiba’s) Courtside 1891 basketball OTT streaming platform globally.
ESPN’s D2C product set for August 2025 launch, ESPN+ subs dip in Q4
ESPN's flagship direct-to-consumer service is set to be in place by the start of the 2025 National Football League season, making the full suite of ESPN's channels available in a standalone service
Study: UK viewing time for women’s sports up 16 per cent
The average UK viewing time for women’s sport across free-to-air and pay-television rose by 16 per cent in 2023, driven in large part by the bumper audiences for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Netflix to take swing at MLB with two Red Sox docuseries
Netflix is getting into professional baseball for the first time, with the entertainment streaming giant today (Wednesday) revealing plans for two projects with Major League Baseball surrounding the Boston…
BBC to show live Super League matches in landmark three-year deal
Super League, the top tier of rugby league in the UK, will receive live coverage on the BBC for the first time after the public-service broadcaster struck a new three-year deal with Rugby League Commercial, the league’s commercial rights-holder.
Schibsted exits ‘risky’ Viaplay investment
Norwegian media group Schibsted has withdrawn its short-lived investment in Viaplay, the embattled pay-television broadcaster refocusing its core business on the Nordic region
ESPN-Fox-WBD to form US sports streaming behemoth
ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced plans to launch a joint venture streaming service later this year in a major consolidation of the US market
Schedule rejig needed in Dutch second tier with ESPN to show all matches
The matchday scheduling in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie is set for a major overhaul after ESPN announced it will show every match from Dutch football's second division live as soon as possible, following…
Team takes Uefa club competition rights to market in raft of Asian territories
Team Marketing has gone to market simultaneously with Uefa club competition broadcast rights in 13 different Asian countries and territories as it begins to wrap up the 2024-27 sales cycle
EXCLUSIVE: SportyTV secures Paris 2024 rights in Ghana, Nigeria
SportyTV has acquired free-to-air Paris 2024 broadcast rights in Ghana and Nigeria in a deal with the Infront agency expected to be announced later today (Tuesday)
Telcos drop Eredivisie-ESPN complaint, but ‘better offer still stands’
Four leading Dutch digital cable television and telecoms operators have withdrawn their complaint to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), the Netherlands’ competition regulator, over the €750m ($8…
EBU’s OTT platform ‘to complement, not compete with’ member offerings
The European Broadcasting Union’s OTT sports platform unveiled today (Monday) has been positioned as non-competitive to members’ existing digital platforms and will rely heavily on Europe’s free-to-air broad…
MultiChoice rejects Canal Plus takeover approach
Pan-African media group MultiChoice, owner of pay-television broadcaster SuperSport and pay-television operator DStv, has rejected a full takeover offer from Canal Plus, the France-based pay-television broadcaster, stating it “significantly undervalues” the group and its future prospects.
ICC issues two-year ITT for rights in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
The International Cricket Council has released an invitation to tender covering 2024 and 2025 for its media rights in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the last remaining major markets where it is yet…
Diamond Sports agrees contracts with Guardians, Rangers and Twins
Diamond Sports Group, the regional sports network (RSN) owner and operator of Bally Sports, has motioned for new broadcast agreements with the Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins of…
Betting rights aggregator ALT Sports Data closes $2.5m funding round
California-based sports data and analytics company ALT Sports Data has announced the closing of a $2.5m series seed funding round, co-led by Eberg Capital and Relay Ventures, with participation from others including Trinity West Ventures NuFund Venture Group.