City Football Group targets new club acquisitions

March 20 – City Football Group (CFG) are “focused on” expanding the number of clubs they have under ownership from the their current four of Manchester City. New York City FC, Melbourne City and Yokohama F Marinos, according to chief commercial officer Tom Glick (pictured).

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Broadcast power plays: Fox/Sky deal faces regulators, beIN Sports gets cash, BT hunts rights

TV cameraman

By Paul Nicholson

March 17 –  It has been a busy week in the sports broadcast market with UK Culture Secretary Karen Bradley referred 21st Century Fox’s £11.7 billion bid for full control of Sky to communications regulator Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority – Sky are the Premier League’s dominant TV partner. In France, Qatari owners have pumped in another €600 million into beIN Sports to cope with losses believed to at more than 1 billion.

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Does the end of Hayatou also spell the end for Lagardère and its $1bn rights package?

By Paul Nicholson

March 16 – With Issa Hayatou no longer president of the Confederation of African Football and the future of CAF general secretary Hicham El Amrani uncertain under the incoming presidency, there is also a question over whether the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) and Presentation Sports will continue with their complaint against CAF over the award of a 12-year marketing rights package to Lagardère Sports for $1 billion.

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