British pay-tv broadcaster Sky Sports has secured a new deal with the National Football League (NFL) that includes rights to air ‘Monday Night Football’ from 2015 in a new five year agreement. 

From 2015, Sky Sports viewers will be able to enjoy over 80 live fixtures a season, including up to five games each week of the regular season, the playoffs and Super Bowl. 

Sky Sports’ coverage will also include all matches from the NFL’s International Series as teams travel to the UK for regular season match ups, which has seen sell out games at Wembley since 2007.

Sky Sports Managing Director Barney Francis said: “We’re delighted to be awarded the rights to Monday Night Football as part of this fantastic new deal for even more live American Football. 

“The agreement means Sky Sports viewers can enjoy all the drama, excitement and unpredictability from the NFL until at least 2019.  Our partnership with the NFL spans two decades and we look forward to helping the sport continue its huge growth in popularity in the UK and Ireland for years to come.” 

Managing Director of NFL UK Alistair Kirkwood said: “Sky Sports has been a fantastic partner for 20 years and we are delighted to have agreed a deal that will extend that partnership to a quarter of a century.

“Sky’s coverage of the NFL and their support for the sport in this country has been an important element of our growth and we look forward to seeing their coverage expand and develop over the next five years. It is fantastic for our fans to have long-term certainty about where they can watch so many NFL games and I am sure they will welcome this exciting news.”

{jcomments on}

Premium TV network EPIX have announced today a partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) to produce and distribute a two-part original series, debuting on EPIX in December 2014.

The series will bring hockey fans onto the ice and behind-the-scenes with the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals as they prepare to compete in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, and the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks on their road to the 2015 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series. 

Produced by 52-time Emmy award winner Ross Greenburg, the series will offer viewers an exclusive look inside the world of the NHL, with strategically placed cameras and microphones providing an all-access pass to players’ homes, locker rooms, training rooms, and the arena.

A pioneer in “TV Everywhere” multi-platform availability, EPIX’s television, on-demand, and digital offerings will provide fans intimate looks at these athletes in professional and personal settings, capturing all the action, drama, heartaches, and triumphs as they unfold.

Part one of the series will premiere on EPIX in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada in December, with weekly episodes following the Blackhawks and the Capitals through regular season games, culminating with the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic outdoor game in Washington, D.C. on New Year’s Day, January 1.

Part two of the series will premiere on EPIX in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada in February 2015 with weekly episodes focused on the reigning Stanley Cup® Champion Kings and their division rivals, the Sharks, as they prepare for the 2015 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series on February 21st.

U.S. hockey fans will be able to watch each episode streamed live for free on EPIX.com, the EPIX mobile and connected device apps, as well as on NHL.com, the NHL app, and the official websites and apps for each participating team. In addition, fans will be able to sign up for a free trial EPIX subscription at EPIX.com to view the entire series on demand through the EPIX online and app platforms.

“We are incredibly excited to be working with the National Hockey League to create this original series,” said EPIX President and CEO Mark Greenberg. “This up close and personal programming is a perfect fit with our goal to provide entertainment that engages fans, using leading edge technology to meet the changing viewing habits of consumers, making it available wherever, whenever they are watching.”

“Hockey fans have a strong appetite for original and engaging content built on storytelling,” said NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins. “EPIX has developed an impressive reputation for its high-quality original sports programming and access to its content across a multitude of platforms. This two-part series will continue to bring every fan the engaging, all-access narratives and storylines they have come to expect.”

“The players appreciate the high level of interest that this series will create amongst fans with Ross Greenburg and EPIX bringing the players’ stories directly into your living room,” said Don Fehr, NHL Players’ Association Executive Director. “The opportunity to play outdoors in a stadium atmosphere is always exciting for the players and their families, and this series will undoubtedly be content that fans won’t want to miss.”

“Canadian hockey fans love seeing their favourite players up-close and personal – they can never get enough of it,” said Scott Moore, President, Sportsnet and NHL, Rogers. “This series is the perfect complement to our stars-first philosophy and we are proud to partner with the NHL and EPIX to bring this type of premium programming to hockey fans north of the border.”

Following a meeting between Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie and 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Local Organising Committee CEO Alexei Sorokin in Moscow last week, treatment Soccerex is delighted to announce that there will be a large Russian presence at this year’s Soccerex Global Convention, pills 30^th November – 5^th December at the world famous Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

All of the 2018 Host Cities have been invited to the Convention which so far has seen an extremely positive reply from over half of the cities. Whilst at the Convention, representatives from these cities will take part in a special Russian workshop where they will discuss the different projects they’re undertaking in order to host the world of football.

The Russian involvement doesn’t stop there; on the same morning there will be an exclusive workshop by the Organising Committee of the proposed United Football League between Russia and Ukraine. The workshop will explore the emergence of supranational leagues and their influence on the development of football across the world, giving the industry a first chance to explore the multiple business opportunities this new league would create. 

Speaking on Russia’s relationship with Soccerex, Alexei Sorokin said:

‘We have always been a big supporter of Soccerex and are looking forward to getting more deeply involved with the Global Convention over the course of the next few years in the build up to the next World cup – starting with Rio this year and then in Manchester from 2014. It provides an invaluable platform for us in world football and we are already engaged in deep discussion to bring Soccerex to Russia.  I am personally looking forward to being in Rio at the Maracanã and on Copacabana beach!”

Duncan Revie, CEO, Soccerex commented:

“I’m absolutely delighted to welcome this large Russian involvement to this year’s Soccerex Global Convention.  In the next 5 years Russia will host the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and of course the 2018 FIFA World Cup^TM, in what will be one of the most exciting chapters in the history of sport. We’re proud to be working alongside them in their preparations to welcome the world of sport to their door.”

For further information about this event please call +44 (0)208 987 5522 or visit http://www.soccerex.com/global