apoplectic helvetica, remedy sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;”>The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that Octagon has won the broadcasting rights for the London 2012 Games in Sub Saharan Africa.

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The deal covers exclusive terrestrial television, and non-exclusive radio and mobile platform rights.

All parties have spoken today of their appreciation of the partnership.

IOC President, Jacques Rogge, led the committee’s statement.

“We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Octagon and look forward to working with them over the coming months to ensure a comprehensive broadcast of the Games in the region”.

Richard Carrion, an IOC Executive Board member who was instrumental the negotiations, also added his own comments.

“This is a new approach for broadcast rights in this region for the IOC. Our new partner Octagon has acquired the rights and will now begin to look for broadcast partners, who will be able to utilise a broadcast feed tailored for Sub-Saharan African viewers. We will be working closely with Octagon to ensure that the widest possible audience has access to the London 2012 Olympic Games.”

Octagon have expressed their pride in the agreement,and Qondisa Ngwenya, MD Octagon Africa, suggested the network’s recent progress in the region was significant in the award.

“Octagon Africa is extremely proud to have partnered the IOC to offer our continent’s broadcasters and sponsors relevant and compelling coverage of the Games. Octagon’s continued growth and presence in three of the key economic hubs in Africa gives us unique knowledge and insight. Africa’s free-to-air broadcasters remain one of the world’s largest markets for many of the world’s biggest brands.”

Octagon’s Head of Broadcasting and Sales, Jonathan Riley, who headed up the company’s negotiations, chose to single out the similarity between the two parties.

“Octagon’s commitment to the world’s principal sports rights holders to create innovative pan-African rights and media sales models meshes with the IOC’s vision and objectives for Africa. Our passion for production, distribution and integration of media, in partnership with Africa’s free-to-air broadcasters, delivers a mass-audience platform and genuine value to all stakeholders.”

ESPN, Inc. and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have announced a multiyear agreement through 2023-24 for worldwide, multi-media rights to 24 NCAA championships.

The deal, which supercedes the three remaining years of the current contract, is valued at some $500 million over 14 school years, according to the NCAA.

The new agreement, which takes effect immediately, also provides expanded coverage of each round of the NIT Season Tip-Off and all games from the NIT Postseason Tournament across the ESPN networks.

Under the new pact, ESPN and its networks retain exclusive coverage of the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship and broad rights covering the NCAA Division I Football Championship, plus the men’s and women’s baseball and softball World Series, swimming and diving, lacrosse and soccer championship action.

ESPN is also adding coverage of seven NCAA championships: Division I women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s fencing, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field and women’s bowling. ESPN will also air additional preliminary round coverage of selected NCAA championships, including Division I football (FCS), women’s volleyball, softball and baseball.

This totals around 600-plus hours and 300 telecasts of live coverage annually across more platforms than ever before. It contains rights for ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN 3D, ESPN Mobile, ESPN FULL COURT, GamePlan, Buzzer Beater, Goal Line, ESPN International, ESPN Deportes, ESPN.com and WatchESPN, with many of the 24 championships produced in high definition on ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ESPNU HD.

George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN and ABC Sports, and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks, said: “We have enjoyed a great relationship with the NCAA that has spanned the history of ESPN. This is our most comprehensive agreement yet and ensures sports fans will have access to top-level NCAA athletics across ESPN networks and platforms.”

NCAA President Mark Emmert, added: “Thousands of inspiring and compelling student-athletes make it to the championship level every year, and we at the NCAA are excited to be able to share their stories with a broader audience than ever. Across all sports and divisions, our primary goal is to support student-athlete success both on the field and in the classroom, and this new agreement provides us a greater ability to do so.”

SuperSport has acquired Africa rights to broadcast next year’s Olympic Games in London, unhealthy to run from July 27 to August 12.

In keeping with its policy to go big on the big events, SuperSport has committed to broadcasting the 26-sport Games on multiple channels, including High definition, plus 24-hour channels.

Each channel will broadcast up to 14 hours of live sport daily, with the broadcast feed produced by the International Olympic Committee.

In addition, SuperSport will have four news crews in London, following South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and others, while daily highlights packages will also be broadcast.

SuperSport will also produce a special Olympics weekend show, “London Calling”, that will include special guests and athletes. Moreover, the Blitz channel will provide regular updates with live feeds.

SuperSport will also have a dedicated new media Olympics presence, at www.supersport.com

SuperSport’s Olympic build-up will start from December 16 with legacy programming, bulding up to the opening ceremony on 27 July.

Czech TV have awarded the 2012–15 Europa League media rights in the Czech Republic, cialis UEFA announced today.

State broadcaster Czech TV will show the best match live each matchnight, cough including the final, allergy as well as a highlights programme each matchweek on its free-to-air channel CT4.

UEFA have also granted CANAL+ AFRIQUE the 2012–15 Champions League and Europa League French-language media rights in sub-Saharan Africa.

Pay operator CANAL+ AFRIQUE will offer comprehensive coverage of the Champions League in the French language with two live matches as well as a highlights programme being broadcast each matchnight.

Francophone football fans in Africa will also be able to watch at least two Europa League live games per matchweek throughout the early stages of the competition and at least one game per matchweek from the quarter-finals onwards. In addition, a highlights programme will be available every matchweek.

All rights have been granted on a platform-neutral basis, with the rights also being exploited on their website and on mobile.

drugs helvetica,sans-serif;”>The agreement between BAMMA USA and 3NET and DRS will see Mixed Martial Arts Events shown in 3D for the first time via DIRECT TV.

Californian based Mixed Martial Arts Promotional company BAMMA USA is the most active promoter in the region and has hosted seven events in 2011 to date. From tomorrow, December 15th, their partnership with 3NET, an exclusive 3D channel co-owned by Sony, Discovery and IMAX, and local 3D production company Digital Revolution Studios (DRS) will see all televised Mixed Martial Arts material in 3D.

All parties have expressed their delight about the agreement.

BAMMA USA CEO Brett Roberts has stated, “MMA in 3D puts you so close to the action that you feel as if you are in the cage with the referee. You can almost touch the fighters and if one of the fighters gets hit and sweat is flying your way, you are going to duck and avoid it”.

3NET President and CEO Tom Cosgrove added that “3net is always looking to bring our viewers the most diverse and compelling 3D programming available” and claimed that “the action-packed sport of MMA is the kind of big event ‘first-ever’ 3D content our consumers have come to expect”.

DRS President Craig Tanner explained his own perspective on the deal too. “DRS was excited to work with BAMMA USA, not only for the solid reputation BAMMA USA had in the MMA community, but also because of their constant commitment to increase the quality of fighters and production value of each event.”

The first show is called BAMMA USA FIGHT NIGHT and starts at 21.00 ET/PT on 3NET (DIRECT TV channel 107).

French channel Canal Plus has been awarded the fifth and final Champions League package in France for the 2012–15 seasons.

The package acquired by Canal Plus consists of 13 first-pick live matches as well as the UEFA Champions League magazine programme. Each game will be broadcast live on Canal+, with the Saturday final and the weekly magazine show being screened on a free-to-air basis. The live matches will also be accessible on a platform-neutral basis (including via the internet and on mobile).

UEFA said: “UEFA is pleased to continue its relationship on the UEFA Champions League with Canal Plus, a long-standing broadcast partner for the competition. We highly value Canal Plus’s production expertise, editorial treatment and capacity to promote Europe’s flagship football competition.”

This announcement follows the recent award of the other four rights packages to al-Jazeera Sport, and concludes the sale of UEFA Champions League media rights in France for the 2012–15 cycle.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and FOX Sports Ohio have secured a multi-year extension of their broadcast partnership in which the network will remain the exclusive television home of the National Hockey League club.

FOX Sports Ohio has been the exclusive television partner of the Blue Jackets since the club’s inaugural 2000-01 season.

Blue Jackets Executive Vice President of Business Operations Larry Hoepfner, therapy said: “One of our organization’s major strategic goals over the past 24 months was enhancing and extending our partnership with FOX Sports Ohio and we are very excited to have accomplished this. FOX Sports Ohio has made a significant commitment to our club through this extension and we appreciate the support the FOX organization has shown, apoplectic and continues to show, in the Blue Jackets.”

FOX Sports Ohio is airing 79 Blue Jackets games in High Definition this season, marking the most extensive coverage and greatest number of HD telecasts of the club on the network in the history of the partnership.  Coverage of Blue Jackets hockey on FOX Sports Ohio also includes the Blue Jackets Live pre- and post-game shows, as well as Blue Jackets Slap Shots, which airs weekly on Mondays throughout the season and at various special times during the off-season.

“We’re pleased to extend our partnership with the Columbus Blue Jackets and remain the exclusive television home for all Blue Jackets programming,” stated Henry Ford, Senior Vice President and General Manager of FOX Sports Ohio. “Our commitment is simple – to support the Jackets in their efforts, promote them throughout our footprint and provide exciting and engaging programming to viewers and fans. The Blue Jackets have been a terrific partner over the past 11 years and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship for many years to come.”

FOX Sports Ohio, the area’s leading provider of local sports programming, is the television home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, Xavier Musketeers, Cincinnati Bearcats, Dayton Flyers, Big 12 and Pac-10 football, ACC and A-10 basketball, and Big East football and basketball.  FOX Sports Ohio reaches over five million households in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, western Pennsylvania, western New York, and West Virginia. www.foxsportsohio.com.

The BBC and ITV have become the official broadcasters of Euro 2012 in the United Kingdom, UEFA has announced today.

All 31 matches will be transmitted live across BBC and ITV. The broadcasters will further exploit all 31 matches via their respective internet and mobile platforms. 

A daily highlights programme will also be shown on each match day during the tournament and the BBC has the right to provide extensive coverage of the competition across its radio channels.

ITV will broadcast England’s opening group game against France on June 11 and final group game against the Ukraine on June 19 with the BBC hosting the Sweden fixture on June 15. But the BBC has first pick of the quarter-finals.

Niall Sloane, ITV controller of sport, commented: “Major events such as the Euro 2012 Championships have huge significance for our viewers and attract some of the biggest audiences on television.”

Philip Bernie, BBC head of TV sport, said: “We are very happy with the live matches on BBC1 as they give us a strong climax to the event, with both semi-finals, as well as England’s quarter-final if they progress.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director of UEFA Events SA, added: “UEFA is delighted to continue its relationship with the BBC and ITV, our traditional broadcast partners for the UEFA European Championships. We look forward to working with the UK’s leading free-to-air broadcasters and are convinced that they will provide fans in the UK with an exceptional depth of coverage of the tournament across all media platforms.”

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and MNC Sports have announced a six-month television distribution deal that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly TV show WWERaw and WWE Specials such as WWE TLC, drugs  WrestleMania and Royal Rumble Ito Indonesia.

WWE RAW premiered on MNC Sports on Saturday December 10^th at 10pm, bringing one of the most watched sports entertainment programs across the globe into more than 900,000 households each week on the largest Pay TV operator in Indonesia.

The WWE Specials will also air on MNC Sports with the first, WWE TLC, airing at 11pm on January 1^st 2012.

Handhi S. Kentjono, Vice President of Directors for MNC SkyVision, said: “WWE is the biggest brand in sports entertainment and we are very pleased to be the broadcast partner responsible for bringing Rawand WWE Specials to Indonesia.”

Senior Vice President & Managing Director of WWE International, Dominic Hayes added: “WWE continues to build partnerships with the biggest and best broadcasters across the globe. This deal with MNC SkyVision will allow WWE to once again deliver quality programming to our ever increasing audience in Southeast Asia.”