Europe
Features
Basketball market report, 2020
In the latest interactive monthly data report, SportBusiness Media analyses the basketball media-rights landscape.
PAOK pins hopes on OTT platform despite revenue falling short of broadcast offer
Greek club PAOK will continue to broadcast home matches on its PAOK TV OTT platform despite the service generating 25 per cent less revenue than pay-television broadcaster Nova’s offer for the team’s rights.
EBU pays uplift to renew European Gymnastics global rights
The European Broadcasting Union paid a slight fee increase to renew its global rights to European Union of Gymnastics (UEG) events for the 2021-24 cycle.
Discovery favourite to pick up WWE in Italy after Sky Italia pulls out
Pay-television operator Sky Italia has dropped the wrestling entertainment series WWE after broadcasting it for 18 years. The decision follows similar choices by Sky’s divisions in the UK and Germany.
Formula One latest beneficiary of Nent’s aggressive strategy in Nordics
Formula One is the latest rights-holder to benefit from Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group's acquisitions strategy, as a new deal boosts the value of its rights across the Nordics almost 50 per cent.
Sky antitrust victory opens way for internet bids, but contracts could be overturned
Sky Italia’s victory this month in its challenge to the restrictions placed on its rights acquisitions by the country’s antitrust authority was comprehensive but not definitive.
ERT puts athletics at heart of sporting output with sprawling EBU deal
Greek public broadcaster ERT’s determination to make athletics central to its sporting output drove the broadcaster to join the European Broadcasting Union’s pool for a host of European and World Championship events.
Česká Televize raises Olympic hours, digital scope in new Discovery deal
Česká Televize will pay more to continue to sublicense Olympic rights from US media group Discovery but will gain more winter Games hours and an additional digital broadcast option.
Bundesliga moves on from past Nordic problems with Nent fee boost
Germany’s Bundesliga has secured an increase in the value of its media rights in the Nordics in its renewal with Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group. This follows the hit it took in the region after the collapse of its previous deal with the now defunct MP & Silva agency.
Disney’s pivot to India-focused Hotstar strategy opened door to Sky-IPL reunion in the UK
Disney’s decision to refocus Star India’s Hotstar OTT platform on its domestic market paved the way for the return of Indian Premier League cricket rights in the UK to pay-television broadcaster Sky.
Tour, Vuelta deals good for EBU and Discovery but ASO incentive uncertain
The latest rights deals for cycling’s Tour de France and La Vuelta a España represent good business for the buyers, the European Broadcasting Union and Discovery Communications, industry insiders familiar with the deals told SportBusiness Media.
Serie A delays domestic tender to April to allow clearer market landscape to emerge
Italy’s Lega Serie A will launch a tender in April for its domestic media rights for the three seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24, SportBusiness Media understands. The delay opens space for the resolution of several outstanding issues that have, so far, complicated the process.
Nent’s colossal Premier League deal shakes up Nordic market
Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group’s monster six-season English Premier League deal signed this month has shocked the Nordic media market and left TV2 in Norway reeling.
WWE gains full-spectrum UK coverage for 2020-23 cycle with Channel 5 deal
Channel 5’s free-to-air highlights deal with World Wrestling Entertainment will run for the same four-year period as WWE’s primary UK broadcast contract with BT Sport, SportBusiness Media understands.
TVI pins hopes on Euro 2020 sublicense to regain viewership
Portuguese commercial broadcaster TVI’s acquisition of free-to-air rights to this summer’s Euro 2020 competition was driven by its desire to regain its status as Portugal’s most-watched terrestrial channel, SportBusiness Media understands.
Uefa raises lower-tier club rights income more than 40% in German RTL deal
Uefa has increased the value of its lower-tier club competition media rights in Germany by over 40 per cent through commercial broadcaster RTL’s acquisition of exclusive, multi-platform rights to the Europa League and newly created Europa Conference League.
Uefa continues to grow club competition income in Austria & Switzerland
Uefa has continued its success in the DACH region by more than doubling the value of its club competition rights in Austria and significantly increasing them in Switzerland.
EHF Champions League rescheduling hits rights round in France
The rescheduling of European Handball Federation Champions League matches to midweek is proving a sticking point in Infront’s efforts to negotiate a new rights round in France, SportBusiness Media understands.
Discovery ties Wimbledon renewals to ATP portfolio in multi-territory deal
International media group Discovery streamlined its portfolio of Wimbledon rights in its latest multi-territory European deal to align with its ATP Tour holdings across the continent.
Canal, FOM activate option to extend F1 deal in France
French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus and Formula One Management activated an option to extend their F1 rights agreement by two years, to the end of 2022, SportBusiness Media understands.
DAZN pays high price to break into Spanish football with Copa del Rey sublicense
DAZN’s determination to add domestic football to its portfolio of rights in Spain led the OTT platform to pay Mediaset a Copa del Rey sublicensing fee that covers entirely what the latter spent on the rights just three months ago.
Sky Italia pays premium for ATP rights extension after competitive tender
Pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia has paid a 50-per-cent uplift to agree a three-year extension of its rights to ATP Masters 1000 events and the end-of-season ATP Finals.
Europa League value falls in France in wake of Champions League frenzy
Uefa’s Europa League revenue in France will fall in the 2021-24 cycle given limited interest in the property in the wake of the fierce contest for rights to the top-tier Champions League.
NOS delivers uplift for International Skating Union events in key Dutch market
Dutch public broadcaster NOS increased its fee to retain rights to International Skating Union events in the Netherlands for the 2019-23 cycle, SportBusiness Media understands.