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.
Broadcast
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.
SuperSport signs up for Qatar 2022 coverage. CAF events next?
April 9 – African football may be struggling to secure meaningful broadcast deals with their domestic broadcasters, but their masters at FIFA have secured a key deal for the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar.
Serie A faces €150m drop in TV income after failure to back beIN over piracy row
April 7 – The financial fall out of Serie A’s failure to back beIN Sport in its battle against piracy and in particular Saudi-focussed BeoutQ has now come home to roost via a drop in overseas broadcast rights that could be as much as €150 million annually.
FIFA issues tenders for unbundled Women’s World Cup media rights
April 7 – Just days after the nine hosts cities for the 2023 Women’s World Cup were announced, FIFA has opened invitations to tender for the media rights to the tournament in both host markets, Australia and New Zealand.