NWSL numbers shatter records and put women’s league on the TV map
July 29 – Viewing figures from the US show record numbers for the women’s club game and a significant breakthrough for the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League).
Broadcast
Sending a signal. CTV switches channels on Premier League as China-UK row heats up
By Andrew Warshaw
July 23 – The burgeoning political and diplomatic feud between Britain and China has spilled over into top-flight football with English Premier League games reported to have been pulled from Chinese state television (CTV).
Globo’s power under threat as CBF match schedule sees TV rights split
July 23 – The Brazilian FA (CBF) has published a tentative match calendar for the Brazilian top flight with a TV schedule that will intensify the on-going domestic TV rights battle.
Ashley’s £300m Saudi deal in balance as Qatar’s beIN Sports is ‘terminated’
By Paul Nicholson
July 15 – Saudi Arabia’s decision to “permanently terminate” beIN Sports license to broadcast in the country has been called a “sham” by the Qatari broadcaster, but also throws focus back on to the Premier League who are still to rule on whether Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund can buy Newcastle United.
Telefónica goes direct with new Spanish TV deal for UEFA club comps
July 6 – Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica has signed an exclusive broadcast rights deal for UEFA’s flagship club competitions for the 2021-24 cycle covering the Spanish territory.
LaLiga wins piracy battle as Danish court rules ISPs must block illegal streams
July 6 – The war on global piracy has seen a new battle win for LaLiga who, working with the Danish Rights Alliance, have won a court ruling that pirate service Rojadirecta is illegal and must be blocked by Danish ISPs.
Flamengo’s Youtube broadcast challenges law but pushes Globo to cancel Carioca contract
By Samindra Kunti
July 3 – In an unprecedented move, Brazilian broadcasting behemoth TV Globo has rescinded its contract with Rio de Janeiro’s state football federation after Flamengo streamed their match against Boa Vista on Youtube under a temporary federal rule introduced by Jair Bolsonaro.
Serie A forfeits millions as beIN forces rebate that will shake up TV rights market
By Paul Nicholson
June 29 – Serie A returned to beIN Sport TV schedules at the weekend following the last-minute conclusion of a deal between the broadcaster and the league over a reduction in the rights fees to be paid.
BeIN Sports follows through on Italian warnings, blacking out Serie A on its networks
June 23 – BeIN Sports went dark on the broadcast of the return of Serie A from the coronavirus shutdown this weekend as tensions mount over the league’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and the kingdom’s support of pirate channel beoutQ.
Bundesliga secures €4.3bn TV deals for Germany; DAZN and Sky still in play
June 22 – The Bundesliga has become the first major European league to negotiate a new TV rights deal in the coronavirus age. While the new deal shows a reduction on the previous broadcast money achieved, it nevertheless suggests that there is still some life left in the market.
LaLiga and DFL combine to shut down 2m subscriber pirate streaming network
June 19 – With the row over the Saudi-based BeoutQ pirate broadcaster and the takeover of Newcastle United still hot news, an international coalition has managed to shut down another illegal streaming network
AFC opens up bid process for Middle Eastern TV rights by territory
June 12 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has issued an RFP (request for proposals) covering broadcast rights for 10 Middle Eastern territories.
OneSoccer grabs DFB-Pokal rights as Canadians tune in to Alphonso Davies
June 10 – The standout performances of Bayern Munich’s Canadian sensation Alphonso Davies has prompted OneSoccer, Mediapro Canada’s dedicated soccer service, to acquire the live rights to the semi-finals and final of Germany’s DFB-Pokal, the country’s top cup competition.
EFL agrees £10m Sky rebate and gives club season ticket holders free access to live streams
June 8 – The English Football League has agreed a £10 million rebate with its domestic broadcast partner Sky, in a revamped TV deal that will see all 108 remaining matches broadcast live across linear and digital platforms.
Stay at home: UK viewers to get a free-TV feast of Premier League football
June 4 – The Premier League clubs meeting today are expected to rubberstamp a domestic TV schedule that will see 33 of the remaining 92 fixtures broadcast free to air.