EFL announces record viewing for its iFollow streaming service with revenue topping £42m
June 3 – The English Football league (EFL) has reported a record level of subscribers to its iFollow streaming services that was launched in 2017.
Broadcast
Aussie leagues agree $155m broadcast deal with ViacomCBS
May 26 – Australia’s men’s and women’s top tier leagues have agreed their first major commercial partnership since taking control of their rights from the national federation, securing a five-year $155.5 million broadcast deal.
SPFL embraces QTV’s remote production for live matches
May 20 – Scotland’s SPFL has embraced new broadcast technologies commissioning production company QTVto deliver a remote production solution that will cover 142 Scottish Premiership matches per season.
beIN builds in France with new LaLiga deal secured and other major rights in pipeline
May 19 – beIN Sports has extended its broadcast rights deal with Spain’s LaLiga for the French market until 2024.
Serie A closes off domestic TV sales with €262m Sky Italia deal
May 18 – Serie A has completed its domestic broadcast deals for the next three seasons, with Sky Italia picking up the remaining package of live rights for €85 million for the 2021-22 season.
LaLiga buys back beIN TV rights to US for new 8-year ESPN deal
May 14 – LaLiga has signed an 8-year deal with the streaming arm of US sports broadcaster ESPN. The deal covers English and Spanish language rights.
Premier League set for approval of roll-over TV deals in UK; £100m sweetener for EFL
By Samindra Kunti
May 12 – The Premier League is set to be given government approval to roll over its existing television deal with domestic broadcasters for a further three years, with the league claiming that “the renewals will provide financial certainty to clubs throughout professional football”.
Fox Sports picks up 1,500 hours of Conmebol rights for US
May 6 – US broadcaster Fox Sports has added English language rights for Conmebol’s competitions in a six-year deal.
Pan-Asian broadcast shake-up as Fox Sports announces closure
April 30 – The Walt Disney Company will shut down Fox Sports Asia this year, bringing to an end the existence of one of the continent’s longest-standing sports broadcasters.
Premier League seeks to roll over £1.5bn domestic TV deals, asks for government approval
April 28 – The Premier League’s underpinning £1.5 billion domestic TV rights deals could be rolled over for at least another two years if government agrees to waive any competition law concerns.
Nent Group’s Viaplay to drive streaming expansion with long term Bundesliga deal to 2029
April 28 – The preference for longer term broadcast deals is increasing with Germany’s Bundesliga agreeing a deal with Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) that will run through to 2029.
Premier Sports doubles up in Scotland adding title sponsorship to League Cup TV rights
April 28 – Broadcaster Premier Sports has added the title sponsorship of the Scottish League Cup to its exclusive broadcast rights deal in an agreement that will run for at least two years and see the knockout competition renamed the Premier Sports Cup.
AFC licenses its major competitions to StarTimes in Africa for 2021
April 27 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has increased distribution in Africa of its major competitions with the announcement of StarTimes as its new media partner in Sub-Saharan Africa for 2021.
AFC expands its footprint in Europe with Fanseat platform deal
April 21 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has partnered with PPV and subscription-based digital broadcast platform Fanseat in eight European territories.
Integrated Sports takes Conmebol’s Qatar 2022 qualifiers into US on PPV
April 14 – South America’s delayed World Cup 2022 qualifiers, now scheduled to restart in June, will be available for viewers in the US on pay per view channels at $25.95 per game.