Media
New player in German FTA market lands DEL rights, DAZN content
A new commercial television channel is to launch in Germany at the start of 2024 offering sports output until now showcased by ServusTV and also on the back of a content agreement with DAZN
ECJ rules against Fifa, Uefa but no ESL approval yet; A22 plots free OTT service
Fifa and Uefa acted unlawfully when they threatened to ban clubs and players joining breakaway competitions like the European Super League (ESL), the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled
WBD ‘in merger talks’ with Paramount Global
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav and Paramount Global chief executive Bob Bakish have met to discuss a potential merger between the two media giants, according to multiple reports
RTL makes cycling push with Infront deal for Flanders Classics
RTL, the French-language free-to-air broadcaster in Belgium, is to succeed public-service rival RTBF as the domestic rights-holder of the Flanders Classics, the country's leading road cycling events
F1 returns to RTL under multi-property Sky sublicensing pact
German media group RTL has secured rights to Formula 1, the German 2. Bundesliga and the English Premier League as part of a wide-ranging content sharing agreement with pay-television broadcaster Sky Deutschland
Spanish government counteracts Saudi investment in Telefónica
The Spanish government has agreed a deal to acquire up to a 10-per-cent stake in Telefónica, in a move that will counterbalance investment in the telecoms operator from Saudi Arabia’s STC Group.
Eurosport signs off on ATP Tour rights renewal in France
Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Eurosport has finalised its ATP Tour rights renewal in France across the 2024-26 cycle
DAZN operating loss cut but still runs into 10 figures
DAZN recorded an operating loss of $1.06bn (€969m) in 2022 on the back of increased rights fee commitments but higher direct-to-consumer revenues helped to reduce the figure by 22 per cent year-over-year, SportBusiness understands.
Deltatre adds NHL to major league portfolio
The National Hockey League (NHL) has become the fourth North American major sports league to align with Deltatre, with the sports technology company introducing a new digital experience.
Aurora lands Hexagon Cup broadcast production
The UK-based Aurora Media Worldwide has today (Tuesday) been named as the host broadcast company for padel’s Hexagon Cup.
Amazon ‘weighing up’ Diamond Sports Group investment
Technology company Amazon is in talks with Diamond Sports Group over a potential investment and streaming partnership deal with the regional-sports broadcaster.
Watchdog tells LaLiga not to exclude FTA operators from rights sales
Spain’s competition watchdog, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC), has requested that LaLiga, the organising body of the top two divisions of club football in the country, does not exclude free-to-air broadcasters in the marketing of television rights for the top tier.
Infront strikes Euro 2024 broadcast deal in Indonesia with MNC
Infront has negotiated an exclusive Euro 2024 broadcast deal in Indonesia with media conglomerate MNC Group
Sharma’s $300m Bluestone fund invests in Magnifi
Bluestone Equity Partners, the private equity fund founded by Bobby Sharma, a former executive at IMG and the National Basketball League, has invested in Magnifi, an AI-powered video editing technology…
Poland’s KSW secures Megogo coverage in Ukraine, Central Asia
Megogo has picked up rights to Polish mixed martial arts promotion KSW in the streaming platform’s main market of Ukraine plus nine other countries spanning Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Canal Plus commits to PGA Tour until 2030 despite golf’s unsettled landscape
Pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has retained its PGA Tour rights until 2030 with a record three Frenchmen set to take part next year but amid ongoing doubts over the long-term future of the property
IMG Arena enters cricket with West Indies betting rights
IMG Arena, the data and betting division of the Endeavor-owned IMG agency, has claimed its first move into cricket, landing the exclusive global data and streaming rights for Cricket West Indies (CWI).
RTL Group to sell Dutch broadcast business for €1.1bn
European media conglomerate RTL Group has reached an agreement for the sale of Dutch broadcaster RTL to DPG Media, a multimedia company with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.