December 15 – Major League Soccer has released detail of its expanded four-year ‘linear’ television agreements with FOX Sports and TelevisaUnivision in the US, plus TSN and RDS in Canada.
December 6 – Manchester United have increased the distribution of their broadcast channel making the MUTV app available on Samsung, LG and Android smart and connected TVs.
November 30 – BeIN Sports, the broadcast rights holder for the MENA region for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, is claiming more than 111 million viewers tuned in for the Opening Ceremony, while a cumulative total of more than 900 million watched the first 16 group stage games.
November 27 – With relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia seemingly having found a new level cordiality in polar opposite to the Saudi-led blockade of the country two years ago, a new dispute has arisen around broadcast rights that could threaten the detente.
November 9 – The next two European championships will remain free to the general public after UK public-service broadcaster the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV agreed to continue to share the rights.
November 1 – Sky Sports UK has renewed its partnership with short-form mobile content platform Snapchat Discover.
By David Owen
October 30 – US media conglomerate Comcast has posted a third-quarter loss after including $8.6 billion of impairment charges related to Sky, its UK-centred media and telecommunications business with live rights to Premier League football.
October 28 – Broadcaster beIN Sports has said it has paid its latest instalment owed to La Liga following the Spanish league’s move to secure a court order following a dispute over payment rescheduling.
October 27 – Proof that all is love in the Qatari/Saudi Arabian media world has been shown again with the announcement that beIN Media Group has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Riyadh-based media sales group SMC.
October 25 – While FIFA is demanding that broadcasters in Europe’s biggest TV markets in the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain massively increase their offers for broadcast rights to the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, the world governing body has agreed a deal with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for 28 of the continent’s smaller TV territories.
September 7 – Streaming giant DAZN has acquired the rights to Spain’s women’s Primera Division in a €35 million global, five-season deal.
September 1 – After a gap of two seasons, Germany’s Bundesliga will return to beIN Sports screens in a three-year deal starting this weekend.
August 31 – Hollywood star and Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has weighed into the broadcast debate over the National League, and has found the support of the English Tier 5 league’s title sponsor Vanarama.
August 22 – Paramount and CBS have struck a record six-year $1.5 billion deal with UEFA for the US broadcast rights to the Champions League, Europe’s premier club competition.
