DCMS Select Committee questions BBC decision to broadcast MMA

The BBC has agreed to broadcast Bellator exclusively in the UK on BBC iPlayer in 2021 The Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee (DCMS) has questioned the BBC’s decision to broadcast MMA competitions in the UK. Citing fears over the effect of concussions, DCMS chair Julian Knight MP has written to BBC director-general Tim Davie […]

Premier League and La Liga capture 100 million user piracy operation

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Football Association Pretoria, the Premier League and La Liga had complained about the mobile app Mobdro The Premier League and La Liga were among the complainants that have brought down piracy operation Mobdro. The application had over 100 million users, and illegally distributed video streams and TV channels. The […]

Facebook adds In Stream Ads for Live videos and expands eligibility

Broadcasters, production companies, publishers, influencers, creative industries, and more will be able to take advantage of the change Facebook has expanded the eligibility criteria for the use of In-Stream ads, as well as opening up their use for live streams. Pages now need 600,000 total minutes viewed and five or more active video uploads to […]

OneFootball partners with Brazilian Football Confederation on content

OneFootball app and website users will be able to see original content and the Brazilian football confederation’s editorial OneFootball and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have announced a content partnership. Users of the OneFootball app and website will be able to see original content and CBF editorial, making it the first national body to link […]

Giggabox appoints Martin Cracknell as CTO

Cracknell joins the virtual & hybrid event specialist and sports live streaming business after more than 30 years in the broadcast TV industry Giggabox has appointed Martin Cracknell as its chief technology officer. Cracknell joins the virtual & hybrid event specialist and sports live streaming business after a 30-year career spanning the Olympics, Wimbledon, Premiership […]

COMMENT: Sky Sports: A Year Since Live Sport Changed

Sky Sports’ Phil Marshall looks back on 12 months of lockdown’s impact on live sports and how the broadcaster has adapted to the challenges of the pandemic. Friday 13 March 2020, the unlucky date that live sport as we knew it stopped. 365 days on, that date remains etched in my memory. For someone with […]

World Rugby to broadcast free live streams of Super Rugby in UK and globally

Ireland, some European countries, Asia (excluding Japan), North Africa and the Middle East will also be able to enjoy the free live sport World Rugby has agreed an interim deal with Rugby Australia to provide free live streams of Harvey Norman Super Rugby. Viewers in the UK, Ireland, some European countries, Asia (excluding Japan), North […]

Discovery combines sport and entertainment marketing solutions

The combination comes after the launch of OTT platform discovery+ in January Discovery has revealed that it has combined it sport and entertainment marketing solutions. Brand partners will be able to access all of Discovery’s content, on all platforms and in all territories, through a central buying point. This includes offshoots such as Eurosport and […]

Aurora to prepare World Championship Air Race broadcast format for take off

World Championship Air Race is set to commence in Q1 2022 World Championship Air Race (WCAR) has partnered with Aurora Media Worldwide to develop its broadcast format. Following last month’s announcement that WCAR has agreed a 15-year deal with the World Air Sports Federation to stage an international series of air race festivals, this is […]

KymiRing motorsports venue adds 5G network

The KymiRing is the largest motorsports and events venue in Northern Europe The KymiRing, the largest motorsports venue in Northern Europe, is installing a 5G private wireless network. Planned to be completed during 2021 by EDZCOM, the network should be capable of fulfilling international broadcasting needs and provide a safe and secure testing environment for […]

Amazon Prime Video to broadcast WTA & ATP Miami Open

The tennis tournament runs from 23 March until 4 April Amazon Prime Video is live and exclusively broadcasting the WTA and ATP Miami Open to UK & Ireland viewers. Running from 23 March until 4 April, with the finals taking place on the 3-4 April, the competition is taking place at the Hard Rock Stadium […]

F1 TV gets tune-up ahead of 2021 season and expansion

Race fans in Brazil, Czech Republic, and Slovakia will be able to tune into the service this season Formula One has updated its OTT subscription service F1 TV ahead of the 2021 season. Already available in 82 countries globally, the service is expanding to Brazil, Czech Republic, and Slovakia this year. The update was developed […]

Eurosport celebrates International Women’s Day with Women In Sport special

There will be further content on Eurosport’s digital platforms, including additional feature interviews on Eurosport.com, supported by a social takeover on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Eurosport has announced a special one-hour Women In Sport special to celebrate International Women’s Day. Presented by Orla Chennaoui, the programme will include guests including former England netball head coach […]

Shoot the Company to produce UK Pro League tennis

Shoot the Company will create the live feed for BT Sport’s live weekend coverage of the year-round domestic tennis championship River Media Partners has revealed that Shoot the Copany will produce the broadcasts of the UK Pro League tennis competition. The film production company will create the live feed for BT Sport’s weekend coverage of […]

DAZN reveals chairman of the board

Kevin Mayer, formerly of Disney, has taken over from the departing John Skipper DAZN has appointed Kevin Mayer as its chairman of the board of directors, replacing former incumbent John Skipper. Mayer was chairman of direct-to-consumer and international at Disney before this appointment, and has over 30 years’ experience in the industry. This includes also […]

Rugby World Cup 2021 postponed

World Rugby is hoping to go ahead with the competition in 2022 World Rugby has postponed Rugby World Cup 2021 until 2022, because of the global Covid situation. The competition was due to be hosted in New Zealand from 18 September until 16 October, and it is now unclear what dates the women’s competition will […]

Channel 4 close to British and Irish Lions highlights rights – report

It would be the first time in 28 years that a Lions tour has been on free-to-air TV Channel 4 is close to agreeing a deal for the rights to highlights of the British and Irish Lions’ tour of South Africa, according to the Daily Telegraph. The deal would mean that Channel 4 will compile […]

LiveNow appoints head of sports

Peter Leible joins the company from Bundesliga International, where he was head of global audiovisual rights LiveNow has appointed Peter Leible as its head of sports. Leible joins the company from Bundesliga International, where as head of global audiovisual rights he was resonsible for $250 million (£179m) of media rights sales. He was previously head […]

How DAZN created ‘more than football’ documentary Club Ibiza: The Sessions

Co-director and executive producer, as well as DAZN SVP original programming, Grant Best, explained to Broadcast Sport how they built a documentary around Ibiza’s small football club DAZN released Club Ibiza: The Sessions last month, a documentary focusing on Spanish third tier football side UD Ibiza. Filmed almost entirely before Covid restrictions were announced, it […]

Formula E broadcast in over 150 countries

Over 40 broadcasters aired the opening race in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia Formula E broadcast its opening weekend to over 150 countries, with more than 40 broadcasters showing the racing. In its first season as an FIA sanctioned event, the competition has expanded its broadcast partnerships so that it is in more than 30 languages around […]

BT TV adds Eurosport to packages for no extra cost

The Big Sport and VIP flexible packages will now give access to Eurosport 1 and 2 BT TV has added Eurosport 1 and 2 to its Big Sport and VIP packages at no extra cost. This means that customers who subscribe to those packages will now have access to the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer, […]

BT Sport to show Chelsea and Man City Women’s Champions League ties

Chelsea are up against Atletico Madrid, while Manchester City face Fiorentina BT Sport will broadcast Chelsea and Manchester City’s Round of 16 ties in the Women’s Champions League this week. The first legs are on 3 March, with Manchester City’s home clash with Fiorentina starting the action at 16.30. Reigning Super League champions Chelsea then […]

Melissa Payne appointed CEO (Media) for Ocean Globe and Golden Globe Races

Payne was a senior IMG executive before leaving the company last year Melissa Payne has been appointed chief executive officer (media) for the Ocean Globe Race (OGR) and Golden Globe Race (GGR). Payne was formerly vice president, head of technical services and also head of sailing/nautical sports at IMG Media, before leaving after 20 years’ […]

BT Sport to broadcast UK Pro League tennis

The competition was originally created during the first lockdown BT Sport has agreed to broadcast the UK Pro League tennis competition. The tournament was originally created by River Media in response the first lockdown and the lack of competitive opportunities resulting from it. The round robin league, which features British players competing against each other […]

Sky Sports announces rugby league pop-up channel

22-26 March will see nothing but rugby league played on what is currently Sky Sports Arena Sky Sports has announced that it will launch a rugby league pop-up channel in March. Ahead of the Super League season beginning on 26 March, what is currently Sky Sports Arena will broadcast non-stop rugby league from 22 March […]

Eleven Portugal signs up Formula E rights

It will broadcast the competition until 2023 Eleven Portugal has secured the live rights to Formula E until 2023. Starting with the Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia this Friday, the broadcaster will complement the live action with in-depth analysis and opinion from a dedicated Formula E punditry team. Portuguese fans will tune in to see […]

FIBA and Twitch agree to bring more basketball to platform

The deal will mean that over 600 hours of live basketball will be broadcast on the live streaming service The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has agreed a deal with Twitch to bring more basketball content to the platform. The first such deal between Twitch and an international federation, the agreement means that over 600 hours […]

Professional Triathletes Organisation partners with YouGov Sport

YouGov Sport will provide analysis of the media and economic impact of the Collins Cup The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has commissioned YouGov Sport to assess the media and economic impact of the inaugural Collins Cup. The Collins Cup will be the PTO’s flagship event, and is running for the first time this year on […]

Amazon Prime announces All or Nothing: Juventus

The documentary follows the team through the 2020/21 season Amazon Prime Video has announced the latest club it will focus on in the All or Nothing documentary series, Serie A giants Juventus. The documentary will follow the Bianconeri through the 2020/21 season. It has been a tumultuous campaign, with the late appointment of club legend […]

Aurora to produce RCCO World eX Championship

Aurora Media Worldwide will produce the #RacingForTheClimate broadcast show Aurora Media Worldwide is partnering with the RCCO World eX Championship to create the #RacingForTheClimate broadcast show. Aurora has experience with sustainability-led competitions through its work with Formula E and Extreme E, and will produce the programme for OTT and broadcast channels worldwide – including RCCO […]

Extreme E reveals live presentation ‘Command Centre’

Team members will watch the races and make strategic decisions from inside the room Extreme E has revealed the ‘Command Centre’ where key members will watch races and make strategic decisions. Made in partnership with live event production specialists ADI, the room is expected to play a key part in broadcasts. The room aims to […]

Discovery secures exclusive Giro d’Italia rights until 2025

Eurosport, discovery+, and the Global Cycling Network will broadcast the competition Discovery has secured the exclusive global rights to the Giro d’Italia, exclusing Italy, San Marino, and Vatican City on a non-exclusive basis. The long-term deal agreed with RCS Sport via IMG means that the Grand Tour will be broadcast through linear on Eurosport, on […]

BT Sport to kick off football fan-focused doc Ours

It will premiere on BT Sport 1 on 2 March BT Sport is to premiere football fan-focused documentary, Ours, on 2 March next month. Airing at 10.30pm on BT Sport 1, the film looks at the role that fans have in the future of football. Written and narrated by journalist Michael Calvin, and directed by […]

World’s Strongest Man moves to Sacramento

The capital of California will host the competition from 15-20 June this year World’s Strongest Man has revealed a multi-year deal with the Visit Sacramento Sports Commission to host the event. The event will be in the Californian capital fro 15-20 June this year, and will return for 2022 and again for an as yet […]

UFC to deliver weekly livestreams on TikTok

UFC is the third most followed sports league on the platform, with over 6.3 million followers UFC and TikTok have agreed a ‘multi-year’ deal that will see the former deliver exclusive weekly livestreams to the platform. Starting this week with content created around the 20 February Blaydes v Lewis Fight Night in Las Vegas, the […]

Eight new broadcasters in the saddle for Saudi Cup

Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV will continue to broadcast the world’s richest horse race in the UK HBA Media has licensed the live production of the 20 February Saudi Cup to eight new broadcasters. The addition of RAI (Italy), Sky Italia (Italy), Sport TV (Portugal), Setanta (Baltics), Movistar (Spain), NENT (Scandinavia), CYTA (Cyprus) and […]

Breakfast Club: The FA and Digital Sports Mgmt on esports moving into the mainstream

Senior content innovations manager at The FA, Damien Cullen, and Jennifer Davidson, senior partnerships manager at Digital Sports Management, told the Broadcast Sport Breakfast Club about esports’ future Speaking at the Broadcast Sport Breakfast Club on Wednesday, FA senior content innovations manager Damien Cullen and Digital Sports Management senior partnerships manager Jennifer Davidson told viewers […]

Breakfast Club: Facebook on audience development and monetisation

Anna Chanduvi, lead, sports media partnerships EMEA, Facebook told the Broadcast Sport Breakfast Club how to make the most of its platforms Facebook’s lead, sports media partnerships, EMEA, Anna Chanduvi, spoke to the Broadcast Sport Breakfast Club on Wednesday. One of the key takeaways from the talk  were the insights into audience development and monetisation […]

Infosys serves virtual experiences for Australian Open

The company attempts to recreate the feeling of the Australian Open with AI, cloud, and 3D virtual experiences Infosys has created a series of virtual experiences to try and recreate the feeling of attending the Australian Open. Using AI, cloud technology, and 3D virtual experiences, the company has brought a number of features to the […]

BT Sport match day experience now available to all customers

This month has seen the broadcaster make the features available on Android devices BT Sport’s matchday experience features have become available to almost all customers this month. The broadcaster has now made its ‘manager mode’, watch together, and 360 offerings accessible via its Android app, with stadium experience and matchday live to be added to […]

Rakuten TV announces sumo wrestling doc The Giants

The Giants will be available to viewers from this summer Rakuten TV has announced a new documentary series focusing on the stories of the first non-Japanese sumo wrestling champions, named The Giants. Filming has aready begun in Hawaii and Japan, focusing on the likes of Konishiki Yasokichi, one of the heaviest sumo wrestlers in history […]

AWS and Bundesliga kick off new in-game match facts

Most Pressed Player, Attacking Zones, and Average Positions – Trends will all be available to broadcasters during matches Amazon Web Services and the Bundesliga have launched three new in-game match facts, beginning from Matchday 21 on 12 February. From this weekend, broadcasters will have access to Most Pressed Player, Attacking Zones, and Average Positions – […]

Revealed: How the NFL created a digital Vince Lombardi for Superbowl LV

Viewers saw the hologram/digital human combo before the big match began The work that went into creating a digital version of former NFL coach and executive Vince Lombardi for Superbowl LV has been revealed. Ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, fans in the US viewing both at […]

BT Sport to air England cricket tours of West Indies and New Zealand

All domestic and international cricket from the two federations will be shown by the broadcaster BT Sport will air the England men’s and women’s cricket teams upcoming tours of the West Indies and New Zealand. The broadcaster has signed multi-year deals with the two federations to show all domestic and international cricket based in them. […]

La Liga becomes first major league to use cutting-edge cameras in live broadcasts

The technology allows to get closer to the players than they have before La Liga and Mediapro have begun to use cutting edge cameras to bring fans closer to players in live broadcasts – which you can see in the video above. The innovation, using a Sony A7S II camera (35mm sensor), Sony optics (Zeiss) […]

Channel 4 brings test cricket back to terrestrial TV for first time since 2005

England’s test series against India will be shown on the free-to-air broadcaster from Friday Channel 4 will air England’s test series against India, bringing test cricket back to terrestrial TV for the first time since the 2005 Ashes. Global rights holder Star Sports has signed a deal with Channel 4 for the four match series. […]

Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour agree UK and global broadcast deals

River Media Partners will act as broadcast agent in the UK, while Eurosport will handle the global rights The Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour have agreed a partnership with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network (GCN). The five-year deal sees the Women’s Tour produced for live coverage for the first time, and the Eurosport […]

Discovery+ unveils original content strategy for sport

Expect a lot of documentaries, and content aimed at bringing in viewers from other areas of the Discovery audience Eurosport president Andrew Georgiou and global production and content head Scott Young have revealed Discovery+’s strategy for creating original sport content, while speaking at the Broadcast Sport Virtual Breakfast Club. Talking on the subject last week, […]

Sky Sports signs multi-year deal with England Netball

The Vitality Netball Superleague will be shown free-to-air on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel Sky Sports has renewed its multi-year broadcast deal with England Netball. The agreement sees the Vitality Netball Superleague broadcast across Sky Sports and England Netball’s platforms, including free-to-air on their YouTube channels. Sky will also make highlights available for those who miss […]

BBC Sport secures clean sweep of World Indoor Tour rights

All five of the upcoming World Athletics World Indoor Tour meets will be covered by the BBC BBC Sport has secured the rights to the next five World Athletics World Indoor Tour events. All meetups will be streamed exclusively on BBC iPlayer, red button, and the BBC Sport website. There will also be highlights shows […]

BT Sport confirms Premier League TV schedule for next month

Starting from 26 January, BT Sport has confirmed that it will be showing 26 Premier League games in 30 days BT Sport has confirmed that it will show 26 matches as part of the Premier League’s new TV schedule. Starting from 26 January, the broadcaster is airing every team twice over ten days and follows […]

Whisper appoints Bethan Evans as head of broadcast operations

Evans will help manage the building of a new broadcast centre at Whisper’s London HQ Whisper has appointed Bethan Evans as its new head of broadcast operations. Evans will join the company in July, following her work on the 2021 Wimbledon Championships as The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s broadcast manager. She was previously head […]

IMG and Panasonic extend Sport 24 airlines deal

The 24/7 sports channel will continue to be shown on flights IMG and Panasonic Avionics Corporation have extended the deal that sees Sport 24 available to airlines worldwide. Panasonic will exclusively market the channel, plus its sister channel Sport 24 Extra, to airlines using other connectivity networks for the first time – meaning the service […]

2021 Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series boosts international reach

The horse racing event will be shown in the UK on Sky Sports Racing The 2021 Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series has increased its reach with nine new broadcasters. Distribution partner, HBA Media, has agreed deals to air the competition – which includes the $3 million (£2,188,425) Pegasus World Cup Invitational race – on […]

Eurosport backs British Speedway scheme to showcase rising stars

The broadcaster wants to help drive interest in the sport Eurosport is backing British Speedway in a scheme promoting young British talent. The five-year plan will get underway when the season commences from 1 May this year, and means that every Premiership and Championship team will include one rising star in an effort to speed […]

SailGP expands to eight races in second season schedule

It plans to get underway in Bermuda from April SailGP has announced the schedule for its second season, revealing that it will expand from five races to eight. It will get underway from 24 April in Bermuda, despite worries over the Covid-19 pandemic. Travelling across three continents and visiting seven new host venues, only San […]

Recast launches beta for micropayment OTT platform

Recast wants to help sports which have had trouble monetising their content Micropayment OTT platform Recast has launched a beta version, ahead of a full unveiling later this year. The platform aims to change the way that viewers consume sport, introducing a micropayments system that uses in-app credits called ‘Casts’. Fans can earn these credits […]

Pure ETCR to reach over 250 million viewers in Eurosport partnership

The deal will see the racing series shown in more than 75 countries and territories Pure ETCR has reached a deal with Eurosport to show the competition in over 75 countries and territories. The electric racing series will use the most powerful touring cars ever built, reaching 500kW peak power – the equivalent of 670bhp. […]

Amazon Prime Video to air ATP Tennis Tours in February

It will provide full, uninterrupted live coverage from all the courts at Melbourne. Amazon Prime Video is showing live tennis coverage of the Women’s Tennis Tour (WTA) and Men’s Tours (ATP Tour) in the UK and Ireland next month. The schedule for the coverage, which is exclusive to Amazon Prime Video, is as follows: WTA […]

COMMENT: Engaging fans and boosting revenue through D2C

Dheeraj Ravula, head of product for D2C video solutions, MediaKind, takes us through the growing opportunities in D2C/OTT For sports rights-holders, leagues and teams looking to future proof their business models amid turbulent industry disruption, one thing is clear; having direct relationships with fans is critical. Sports rights-holders now have a renewed opportunity to offer […]

Extreme E confirms Sky Sports will broadcast races

The electric racing series will get underway in March Extreme E has confirmed that its races will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK. The partnership with the subscription service joins the deal that the organisation has with BBC Sport – which will show races on its digital channels. Extreme E’s focus on the […]

La Liga launches invitation to tender for Indian subcontinent rights

Bids must be made by 8 February La Liga has kicked off the tendering process for audiovisual rights in the Indian subcontinent. Bidders are invited to submit offers for the 2021/22 season onwards, covering a minimum of three seasons and a maximum of five. The tender includes eight countries: Afghanistan (non-exclusive basis), Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, […]

Sportel to skip winter event, launches free webinars to fill gap

Monaco Mediax is hoping to get back to face-to-face later in the year Monaco Mediax, the organiser of the Sportel events, has decided against running the 2021 Winter edition. Sportel Monaco 2020 had been postponed from the autumn to this coming 22-24 February due to the Covid-19 crisis, but will now not go ahead because […]

DAZN Group announces co-CEOs in leadership shake up

The OTT provider expanded its platform to over 200 countries and territories in December DAZN Group has appointed co-CEOs as it looks to build on its expansion to over 200 countries and territories. Shay Segev joins the broadcaster from Entain, a sports betting and gaming company. He has a background in technology and digital transformation […]

World Rugby recruits new broadcast operations manager

She joins the organisation from IMG’s media arm World Rugby has appointed Amanda Godson as its new broadcast operations manager. She joins the organisation after leaving IMG Media last year, where she had worked since 2017 as commercial manager, media rights and aquisitions. She also had roles at the company acting as broadcast manager at […]

Formula E launches new esports competition, Formula E Accelerate

Open qualifying for the competition has already started Formula E has launched a new esports competition, Formula E Accelerate, to try and build on the success of its Formula E Race at Home Challenge in support of UNICEF last year. Formula E Accelerate will feature 24 rising stars from the world of motorsports and esports […]

Formula E extends broadcast deal and confirms Saudi Arabia night race start

The season will get underway on the last weekend of February Formula E has extended its Austrian free-to-air broadcaster ORF for another three seasons. The largest free-to-air broadcaster in Austria, ORF will show every qualifying session and E-Prix live on ORF1 and ORF Sport+ – continuing a relationship that has run since 2016. The first […]

BBC Sport reveals ‘Mark Wright: The Last Chance’ documentary

The programme will follow the celebrity after his return to football with the League Two club BBC Sport has revealed its latest documentary, iPlayer mini-series Mark Wright: The Last Chance. The programme follows the TV personality and presenter on his final attempt to make it as a footballer, after he signed for League Two Crawley […]

Eleven Taiwan appoints new MD after distribution extension

Michael Sun has left his role as chairman and CEO of SlamBall Asia to join the company Eleven Taiwan has appointed Michael Sun as managing director, just weeks after it extended its distribution in the country. Sun joins the broadcaster after being CEO and chairman of SlamBall Asia – a form of basketball played with […]

Serie A officially launches domestic broadcast rights sales bidding

There are three packages available for broadcasters Serie A has officially launched the bidding process for its domestic broadcast rights for 2021-22 until 2023-24, with the deadline on 26 January. The Italian league has issued three packages: A, B, and C. Package A contains satellite platform rights and has a minimum price of €500 million […]