European sports television network Eurosport has renewed its long term partnerships with the French and the US Opens.

The French Open deal secures coverage on Eurosport for three more years through to 2014. The US Open agreement sees the Flushing Meadows event on Eurosport through to 2017.

The renewed deals for both events cover live pan-European rights across all platforms. The two events will be covered on Eurosport and Eurosport 2 and will also available on PC and on mobile devices via Eurosport Player.

Subscribers to Eurosport Player will also have access to the live multi-court service.

Eurosport deputy managing director Geraldine Filiol said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with these two premium tennis properties with whom we have built strong relationships over the years. These deals ensure that Eurosport remains a major partner of the tennis world in Europe.

“Tennis Grand Slams are indeed a perfect fit for our group’s multi-screen strategy: not only does Eurosport deliver these events anywhere and on any device but we also ensure that all this terrific content is made available to fans via the Eurosport Player multi-court service.”

In 2012, Eurosport will be offering tennis fans over 1200 hours of live coverage, adding the WTA season and selected ATP events to its three Grand Slams.

International sports media company MP & Silva has secured the global broadcast rights for the inaugural season of India’s franchise-based Premier League Soccer (PLS) tournament.

The new league will be broadcast in ‘at least’ 50 countries during its opening season, Bhaswar Goswami, executive director of the Kolkata-based Celebrity Management Group (CMG) which is organising the PLS, told Indiantelevision.com.

Financial details of the TV rights deal have not been disclosed, however, it will reportedly operate on a minimum guarantee and revenue sharing basis.

CMG is also said to be in talks with three broadcasters for the South Asia broadcast rights to the new football league.

Household names such as Italy’s World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavro; ex-Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler; former France and Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires; Argentian striker Hernan Crespo; and Nigerian ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha are all set to play in the PLS.

The US and Europe, which are home to large Indian expatriate populations, are reportedly key target markets for the venture.

The Indian Football Association, which governs football in the state of West Bengal, has agreed for CMG to run PLS for 30 years.

The group expects the total sale of commercial rights to amount to between $5 million and $6 million, according to Goswami. This includes both the broadcast rights and sponsorship deals.

The English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have revealed today it has agreed a new six-year deal with BBC Sport for the radio rights to broadcast ball-by-ball commentary on international cricket from 2014 to 2019.

The agreement, which will encompass two home Ashes series in 2015 and 2019 – and tours by India in 2014 and South Africa in 2017, provides BBC radio with live and exclusive coverage of all England’s home Test, one-day international and Twenty20 series.

The BBC had previously agreed a four-year deal with the ECB to broadcast live ball-by-ball coverage of international cricket, which is due to expire at the end of the 2013 season.

David Collier, ECB chief executive, said: “This is excellent news for all cricket-lovers. Test Match Special brings cricket into millions of homes in this country each summer and is widely recognised for its unique and world-class coverage of cricket.

“The next six years are set to be exciting ones for the sport and Test Match Special’s coverage, together with the regular summaries and updates provided by BBC Radio 5 live, will play a significant role in promoting cricket from the playground to the Test arena.”

Barbara Slater, director BBC Sport, said: “We’re delighted to be taking cricket on the radio forward for a further six years. Test Match Special, now in its 55th year, is one of the most treasured programmes on the BBC with its unique mix of expert commentary, insight, humour and entertainment.

“In a new digital era the programme and its accompanying download have never been more popular with its audience.”

Discuss ECB’s latest commercial venture here

Mobile telecommunications giant MTC has spared the Namibian Broadcasting Corporations’s (NBC) blushes by securing the TV broadcasting rights for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) which started last weekend in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

MTC and the national broadcaster signed an according sponsorship agreement costing N$550, health 000 ($70, price pills 405) to allow the Namibians to watch the event which has already started.

The mobile provider’s Tim Ekandjo said: “Brave Warriors have already been robbed of participation in the Nations Cup because they did not qualify, and as Namibians we don’t deserve to miss the continent’s biggest soccer showpiece. That is why MTC decided to step in.”

Criticizing the broadcast rights holders for setting unrealistic and exorbitant prices which struggling public broadcasters cannot afford, Ekandjo stated; “Over and above the meager US$ 2 million prize money for the tournament, the AFCON is about national and continental pride as Africans, we therefore must enjoy this event without unnecessary restrictions of cost and other issues.” 

MTC further urged the grantors of broadcast rights to look at the interest of the people on the continent first before they think of cashing in by selling rights at astronomic rates.

The sponsorship came at the right time when many Namibians, who are already disgruntled over the national broadcaster’s poor service delivery, were questioning the payment of TV licenses to NBC. The most vocal critics came from the country’s sports enthusiasts, more so after the NBC appeared to have failed to acquire broadcasting rights to air African Cup of Nations (AFCON) matches. Since the advent of the New Year, television set owners could be seen queuing to pay their TV licenses before the NBC’s latest deadline. The penalty for non-payment is a fine.

According to the NBC, the latest wave of license payments has flushed an enormous amount of money into the state broadcaster’s coffers. In addition to that, the NBC gets annually bailed out by the government with millions, while the notoriously financially stricken broadcaster used to regularly be in the headlines over financial scandals. 

While critics wonder where the cash disappeared while viewers are left with what many regard as below average programming, for MTC it is all about sports. Not any sport. It is football – arguably the most popular sport on the continent, and in Namibia.

“Sponsors were reluctant to come on board due to the Brave Warriors’ absence from the tournament, sponsors therefore felt there was no audience to justify any injection of capital in to acquiring broadcasting rights,” the NBC’s Director General Albertus Aochamub told Informanté.

This year remains one of the busiest on the international sporting calendar regarding the staging of major sporting events; including the European football championships and the 27th edition of the London Summer Olympics in July and August.

“The NBC is currently in negotiations with the rights holders and potential sponsors to partner with investors whose role will be to cover the costs of the rights while receiving unlimited  advertising space,” said Aochamub about the forth coming Olympic Games.

Al-Jazeera has landed another domestic Ligue 1 media rights package.

The French Football League (LFP) has announced that the Qatar-based broadcaster had secured rights for an additional six live Ligue 1 games per round on pay-per-view, cheap together with a weekly football magazine-style programme.

Al-Jazeera had already secured the rights to two games per round, viagra 60mg with Canal Plus showing the remainder of the package. The new agreement will see the French pay-television channel retain the rights to two matches per week.

The deal is said to be worth a minimum 240 million euros ($315 million) for four seasons from 2012-13.

The deal is the latest in a series of major investments in French media rights and suggests that Al-Jazeera will continue to be the major player in French football broadcasting.

In December, vialis 40mg it acquired four of the country’s five media rights packages for the UEFA Champions League from 2012-15, and it has also gained the international rights to Ligue 1 action.

Nasser al-Khelaifi, president of Al Jazeera Sport, also serves as chairman of Ligue 1 giant Paris Saint-Germain.

It has been reported that Al-Jazeera is planning to provide a platform for its rights by developing or acquiring its own channel in France, and has spoken to Orange about such a project.

Nasser al-Khelaifi, president of Al Jazeera Sport, is also Chairman of Ligue 1 favourites Paris Saint-Germain.

ARD, cheap  Germany’s public broadcaster have announced an exclusive media rights agreement for comprehensive national broadcast coverage of Germany’s FC Bayern München and the Netherlands National Team friendly game.

The match scheduled for 22 May 2012 is taking place only three days after the UEFA Champions League Final, impotent with both events being held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, vialis 40mg Germany. The deal was broquered by Infront Sports & Media, an international sports marketing company.

The media rights agreement covers the all important domestic territory for the match, which promises to be one of the year’s main football highlights in Germany. First broadcast agreements have also been signed for the international market, including Portugal and Brazil.

The ARD has acquired the rights to offer live as well as delayed and highlights coverage across all its media platforms, including its regional public broadcaster channels. The full match will be aired live on the main ARD channel.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of FC Bayern München, said: “We look very much forward to this rare and exciting football match. Only two and a half weeks ahead of the UEFA EURO 2012™, this will be a major highlight for all fans: With many national players in the squad, FC Bayern München will put the vice World Champion and one of the European Championship favourites to the test. FC Bayern München
against the Netherlands will be a football spectacular.”

Volker Herres, Head of ARD Programming, added: “German football fans can look forward to this period of highlights with the national and international club competitions culminating in May before all eyes are directed towards the Ukraine and Poland in June. The unique head-to-head of FC Bayern and the Netherlands is the best event one can think of as a transition between the club and the national team phase and the ARD Group looks forward to delivering this unforgettable
sports experience to the fans.”   

Günter Netzer, Executive Director at Infront, said: “The fact that public broadcaster ARD secured the media rights for the German home market demonstrates the sporting value of this unique football event. The high level of attention that a game involving the Dutch national team generates was clearly demonstrated in the end of 2011 when the Germany versus Netherlands friendly reached almost 13 million TV
viewers.”

The Davis Cup will now be shown on UK television after British Eurosport secured a two-year deal with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to broadcast exclusive coverage of the World Group ties.

British Eurosport will also broadcast the women’s equivalent tournament, cialis the Fed Cup and Hyundai Hopman Cup in 2012 and 2013.

The deal will see British Eurosport broadcast live coverage from each of the AEGON GB Davis Cup Team’s 2012 Europe/Africa Zone Group I fixtures, try including the first round tie against Slovak Republic at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena on 10-12 February.

The deal follows British Eurosport’s live coverage of Great Britain’s 2011 ties against Luxembourg and Turkey and adds to the channel’s portfolio of tennis rights which includes extensive coverage of the WTA Tour and selected ATP events, the British grass court tournaments in the lead up to Wimbledon and Grand Slam tournaments.

David Kerr, Managing Director, Eurosport UK said: “We’re thrilled to be able to bring Eurosport viewers the unique drama of the Davis Cup. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal provided some magical moments in recent finals and there’s sure to be more great drama and emotion in this year’s matches.

“Following our broadcast of Great Britain’s successful campaign last year, we’re delighted to once again bring coverage of GB’s Davis Cup ties in what is an important year for the team as they seek qualification into the top tier, the elite World Group.

“Added to our exclusive coverage of the World Group ties, Fed Cup Final and Hopman Cup secured for the next two years, UK tennis fans will be able to enjoy a stronger than ever tennis offer on British Eurosport.”

Jan Menneken, ITF Executive Director, Commercial added: “The ITF looks forward to working with British Eurosport to televise World Group and British Davis Cup by BNP Paribas matches, the Fed Cup Final and the Hopman Cup.

“This arrangement provides great exposure for the ITF’s major team competitions and gives British fans the chance to watch both the British team’s 2012 Davis Cup campaign and matches from the elite World Group for the next two years on British Eurosport.”

Lawrence Robertson, LTA Head of Commercial commented: “This announcement is further indication of Eurosport’s commitment to tennis in the UK, adding to their coverage of the LTA’s series of grass court events in the summer.

“We’re delighted to be able to partner with Eurosport to offer British tennis fans the opportunity to watch the AEGON GB Davis Cup Team throughout the course of what we hope will be a very successful season for Leon Smith’s team.”

The USA TODAY Sports Media Group have announced today that it has completed its takeover of Fantasy Sports Ventures (FSV) and Big Lead Sports, the largest independent digital sports property in North America.

USA TODAY’s parent company, Gannett Co. Inc., was already a significant minority shareholder of FSV and elected to complete the purchase through an acquisition of FSV’s assets. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

When all FSV assets are ultimately combined with the other properties within the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, the digital property is expected to become one of the top five sports sites on the web based on the most recent comScore metrics. The digital assets that currently make up the USA TODAY Sports Media Group include USATODAY.com/sports; digital outlets associated with 81 local Gannett newspapers and 23 Gannett-owned broadcast television stations; HighSchoolSports.net; and the BNQT Media Group, which includes MMAjunkie.com.

Tom Beusse, president of USA TODAY Sports Media Group, said: “This deal represents a major step forward for us, giving us dramatically more scale and a great ability to provide engaging, relevant content across the entire spectrum of sports fans. The Big Lead sites fit very nicely into our existing portfolio, and now give us an unmatched sports platform to go along with our existing national and local strengths. These new content distribution outlets will enable us to better serve sports enthusiasts while providing advertisers and marketers with a one-stop solution for all of their sports marketing needs.”

With nearly 19 million unique visitors in the latest comScore report, the FSV and Big Lead Sports property provide distinct and independent coverage of every major sport, including football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, hockey, soccer, college sports, high school sports and fantasy sports. The sites include the TheBigLead.com, a leading source of breaking news and commentary across all sports, as well as well-respected sports sites that include BaseballHQ.com, KFFL.com, TheHuddle.com, Baseball-Reference.com, HoopsWorld.com, HoopsHype.com, and many others.

“We are very proud that we built Big Lead Sports into the No. 1 independent online sports property,” said Chris Russo, founder and chief executive officer of Big Lead Sports. “Joining the USA TODAY family will enable Big Lead Sports to grow further and provide a new and bigger platform for our talented writers, contributors and advertising partners.”

Dave Morgan, the USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s senior vice president of content and editor-in-chief, added: “The Big Lead sites have done a great job developing unique, independent voices and distinct points of view. This acquisition extends our reach and deepens our engagement with core sports audiences, and is a strong complement to our position as a leading national sports property.”

The acquisition also provides USA TODAY Sports Media Group with a strong initial footprint in fantasy sports. Last year more than 32 million consumers in the U.S. actively participated in fantasy sports. Among the assets in the FSV/Big Lead Sports property are more than 25 fantasy games and products, with more than 500,000 active and paying subscribers.

To rack up interest in their sports channel, herbal ESPN UK will broadcast a Premier League match on freeview for the first time next week in the game between Manchester City and Fulham.

The top flight fixture will be screened by ESPN on February 4 as part of a marketing campaign to increase the awareness of its channels.

The game could potentially break the record for largest domestic television audience for a Premier League encounter with freeview estimated to be in 10m homes.

ESPN is broadcasting free from Friday to Monday on the first weekend in February and the taster will also feature live games from Serie A and the Bundesliga.

“This is a great opportunity for us to introduce that to millions more and let them sample the programming ESPN has on offer,” ESPN chief Jeroen Oerlemans said.

Since 1992, when Sky Sports first won a contract to show live action from the Premier League, fans have needed to pay subscriptions to watch top-flight football.

NBC Sports Group and the Breeders’ Cup have announced a multi-year deal for the network to televise the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships beginning with the 2012 event at Santa Anita Park.

This year, NBC Sports Network will televise the Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 2 and then Nov. 3 before NBC picks up coverage for the $5 million Classic from 8-9 p.m. EST.

The 15-race Breeders’ Cup returns to NBC after several years on ABC/ESPN. NBC aired the event from 1984-2005.

Financial terms of the deal announced Monday were not disclosed.

NBC also televises the Triple Crown races — the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.