The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA), allergist has announced that it has signed a long-term multi-platform programming agreement with Canada’s Fight Network channel, discount which will air live broadcasts of BAMMA’s next 10 events.

The first event to be televised was BAMMA 8: Manuwa vs. Rea which took place at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham on Saturday 10^th December. 

Chad Midgley, search VP of Programming & Production at Fight Network, said: “Over the past year, Fight Network has proudly featured live events from BAMMA, one of the best mixed martial arts brands on a planet. I’m very excited to extend this partnership for another 10 events as we continue our commitment to bringing fight fans the best international live events. BAMMA has separated itself from the pack of emerging MMA promotions with a stacked pool of talent and excellent production value, making it a perfect fit for the network.”

BAMMA director David Green, added: “We are really excited to be extending our partnership with Fight Network. Canada is well known for its love of the sport and we believe that this is a fantastic opportunity for BAMMA to continue showcasing the best of British MMA to a passionate, wider audience. Teaming up with a well reputed combat sports channel is such a natural brand fit for BAMMA that we really couldn’t choose a better platform than Fight Network.”

TNA Impact Wrestling has clinched a two-year deal with British channel Challenge TV, keeping the UK’s highest-rated wrestling show on free television until the end of 2013.

Screened every Sunday night at 9pm on Challenge just three days after it airs in the United States, TNA’s monthly supercards and spin-off show TNA Xplosion will also remain with the channel.

Ahead of next month’s 2012 Maximum Impact IV UK Tour, the deal is an excellent indication that the TNA brand is continuing to grow.

Dixie Carter, company president, said: “Our first year on Challenge TV has seen us double our viewership in the UK and Ireland – and we are really looking forward to another two years of even greater success.

“Our wonderful fans have made us the most-watched wrestling programme in the UK and we’re pleased this new agreement also gives them the security of knowing they can always watch us on the same channel every week – Challenge TV.

“We cannot wait to celebrate with our fans in person in Nottingham, Manchester and London on the TNA MAXIMUM IMPACT Tour from January 26-28!”

Barbara Gibbon, Challenge’s Head of Channel, added: “We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to consolidate our relationship with the TNA team.

“Over the past year these programmes have become an important destination point in the Challenge schedule because they are much loved by its many fans.”

In an exclusive deal for the African continent, SuperSport will broadcast both the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and Euro 2012 next year.

SuperSport will broadcast all 32 AFCON matches live and in high definition, while the Euro will be broadcast exclusively live also in HD. The Afcon deal, especially, marks a highlight for SuperSport as it incorporates a number of continental football properties.

The AFCON arrangement will be for the next three editions (2012, 2013 and 2015). In addition, the rights include the African Nations Championship (2014), African Youth Championship (2013 and 2015), CAF Super Cup (2012-2016), CAF Champions League (remaining matches, plus 2012-2016), CAF Confederation Cup (remaining matches, plus 2012-2016) and the CAF Under-23 Championships.

SuperSport’s AFCON coverage will include a 24-hour channel dedicated to the event in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

ESPN Star Sports will broadcast matches between the world’s top cricketing nations over the next five years under a new broadcast deal inked with Cricket Australia on Thursday.

The deal covers broadcast rights of India tours to Australia in 2014-15 and 2015-16, allergist including tests and a tri series of one-day international matches between India, ed England and Australia, ailment which is being pitched as the “clash of the titans.”

It also includes the Ashes tour between arch-rivals Australia and England as well as Australian tours of top cricket nations including South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies  and New Zealand. International and premium domestic cricket including Twenty20 series between India, England  and Australia are also in. The deal counts in total broadcasts of more than 191 days of live international cricket action from Australia, as well as 280 days of Australia’s domestic competitions.

The exclusive deal covers television, Internet, mobile and radio rights across the entire Asian region but not Australia and New Zealand.

It also marks the first time that ESPN Star Sports gets rights to showcase two India series.

ESPN Star Sports managing director Manu Sawhney, said: “We are very pleased to announce this partnership with Cricket Australia with whom we share a very strong relationship. Australian Cricket has always been exciting and is played with utmost competitiveness in a super charged atmosphere which makes for every fan’s delight. It is therefore not surprising that it is called the ultimate test for any cricket player.”

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia CEO added.“We are delighted that a telecaster of ESPN Star Sports’ standing and class will be putting Australian cricket in front of so many cricket fans. ESPN Star Sports has been a wonderful and innovative partner for a long while and to be able to extend this critical partnership is great news for us all as well as for the cricket loving public.

“With so many premium international series including two India tours and Ashes along with a robust mix of increasingly popular domestic tournaments, fans in the Indian sub-continent can look forward to top quality action from down under on ESPN Star Sports. Now, with such an enviable line-up of cricket including Cricket Australia, England & Wales Cricket Board, International Cricket Council and Champions League Twenty20, we are pleased to further strengthen our position as the biggest cricket network and the No.1 sports content provider in Asia.”

ESS also plans to broadcast Cricket Australia’s domestic cricket over 280 days, India’s upcoming tour of Australia starts Dec. 26, All the matches of this series will be televised live on STAR Cricket and STAR Cricket HD and the tri-series will also be broadcast on ESPN.

Eurosport and the International Ski Federation (FIS) have reached an agreement for the upcoming Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski.

Eurosport will be the official partner of the Tour de Ski and will broadcast all stages of the tour LIVE, prostate reaching 127 million homes in 20 different languages across 59 countries.

The sixth edition of the Tour de Ski takes place from December 29 to January 8 and leads from Oberhof via Oberstdorf (GER) and Toblach (ITA) to Val di Fiemme (ITA). The eleven-day tour covers nine competitions in both techniques and in all cross-country disciplines across almost all distances.

In a season without World Championships or Olympic Games, ambulance the Tour de Ski is the highlight for the athletes besides the overall world cup. Exciting races, viagra cheap the spectacular 3,7 km climb to “Alpe Cermis” at the final stage in Val di Fiemme and over 600,000 Euro prize money make the FIS Tour de Ski a very special sport event both for athletes and viewers.

The tour starts on December 29 with the Prologue (Women 2,5km and Men 3,7km). Eurosport will feature live broadcasts of all races.

Eurosport will promote the event across its multimedia platform and is organising viewer competitions in Germany, Poland and Italy. Cross-country fans can win a weekend trip for two to the final of this years’ Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme (ITA), including VIP access to the competition venue and a private behind-the-scenes tour with Jürg Capol, FIS Race Director Cross-Country. Furthermore, Eurosport offers ambitious amateur cross-country skiers the chance, to make a start on the “Rampa con i Campioni”, the race for everyone to experience the final climb.

Jürg Capol, FIS Race Director Cross-Country, said: “We are delighted that Eurosport is once again one of our partners for the Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear. Our international partnership for mutual promotional activities, which involves Poland and Italy as well as Germany for the second time, clearly shows the high value the FIS Tour de Ski has reached.

“This unique event will not only be experienced by viewers on site but also by millions of viewers across Europe through Eurosport’s high-quality broadcasting. We can expect a great FIS Tour de Ski from the sporting side. The cross-country skiing stars such as Marit Bjoergen, Petter Northug, Charlotte Kalla, Dario Cologna, Therese Johaug, Lukas Bauer and Alexander Legkov are already in good shape and eager to go head to head over the nine stages.”

Werner Starz, Director Marketing and Communication at Eurosport Media GmbH in Munich, added: “Nordic skiing has always been very popular among Eurosport viewers and we will broadcast 180 hours from this year’s FIS Cross-country World Cup on Eurosport and Eurosport 2. We have once again expanded the coverage of cross-country skiing. The Tour de Ski has established itself as an important sport highlight along with the International Four hill tournament, and we are very happy to present this event to our viewers.”

The Toronto Raptors, National Basketball Association (NBA) and TVA Sports have announced that they have agreed to a multi-year deal that will bring NBA games to the newest French-language sports network in Quebec.

TVA Sports will broadcast a mix of regular season NBA games, including live play-by-play coverage and analysis of the Toronto Raptors by knowledgeable basketball experts Paul Rivard (an experienced journalist and sports commentator) and Pascal Jobin (a former professional basketball player and coach). The channel will also feature match-ups of legendary teams like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, as well as the NBA Playoffs and The Finals. Live French broadcast of these games will be exclusive to TVA Sports. This is the NBA’s latest step to expand the league’s footprint in Canada.

Pierre Dion, President and CEO of the TVA Group, commented: “This agreement marks a big TV comeback for French-language basketball coverage, after a 12-year absence. Francophone audiences from Quebec and across Canada deserve the opportunity to appreciate the thrilling spectacle of NBA basketball.”

Dan MacKenzie, Vice-President and General Manager of NBA Canada, said: “TVA Sports is a great destination for French-speaking sports fans in Canada and we are excited to bring NBA games to their new line-up. Quebec is an important market for the NBA in Canada, and this partnership will help build a strong presence for basketball in the province.”

Chris Hebb, Senior Vice President, Broadcast and Content, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, added: “We’re thrilled to work with the NBA and TVA Sports on this exciting new initiative that allows us to better connect with Raptors fans across the country. After the success of our preseason game in Montreal last year, we feel this is another step to better engage our French-speaking fans.”

Dutch pay-TV channel Eredivisie Live has been awarded the 2012–15 UEFA Europa League media rights in the Netherlands, UEFA has announced.

Eredivisie Live will broadcast a minimum of two live matches per kick-off slot as well as a highlights programme each matchweek across the Eredivisie Live family of channels.

All rights have been granted on a platform-neutral basis, with the rights also being exploited on the internet via the channel’s website and on mobile.

Following on from the recent award of certain media rights to RTL, this announcement concludes the sale of the 2012–15 UEFA Europa League media rights in the Netherlands.

Modern Times Group (MTG), viagra 100mg the international entertainment broadcasting group, help today announced it has prolonged its exclusive live Baltic broadcasting rights to the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship until 2017.

The rights include, but are not limited to, broadcast coverage on free-TV, pay-TV, mobile devices and the internet. The rights have been acquired from Infront Sports & Media.

MTG will broadcast games from the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and Division 1 on its free-TV channels and Viasat Sport Baltic premium pay-TV sports channel. MTG has broadcast coverage of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in the Baltics since 1999.

The 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will be jointly hosted by Finland and Sweden in May and the Latvian national team will participate in group A, playing Russia in the first game.

Latvian viewers of the TV3 and TV6 free-TV channels will be able to watch 20 live games from the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, including all of the games played by the Latvian national side, the semi-finals and the final. A total of 50 games will be shown on the Viasat Sport Baltic pay-TV channel.

TV viewers in Estonia and Lithuania will also be able to watch 20 live games, including the semi-final and the final, on the TV6 free-TV channel, as well as 50 games on the Viasat Sport Baltic pay-TV channel.

Viasat Sport Baltic also broadcasts coverage of matches from the Kontinental Hockey League, including all of the games featuring Latvian team Dinamo Riga.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented: “We are delighted to have prolonged our exclusive broadcasting rights for a further six years. This is the marquee international ice hockey right and one of the most popular sports events in the Baltics. It has consistently delivered high ratings on our free-TV channels, and been a key property in our expanding portfolio of pay-TV sports rights. We look forward to extending our successful partnership with Infront and the IIHF.”

Bruno Marty, Infront’s Executive Director Winter Sports, added: “MTG with its multiple media platforms in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia is a first-rate partner to work with in the Baltic states. For the fans in the region, this long-term contract guarantees another six years of comprehensive coverage of the IIHF flagship events, including extensive live broadcasts.”

Spain’s top football division, La Liga, has launched the LFP International Cup, which is to be held in Asia starting in 2011.

The competition was launched at the Soccerex Forum in Singapore by La Liga CEO Francisco Roca Perez and Sergi Vieta of the Megapro agency, and is part of a long-term strategy by La Liga to increase brand awareness in Asia.

Details of the new tournament remain unrefined at the moment, but it was confirmed that three as yet unnamed La Liga teams will play in South East Asia either next July or August.

Roca said: “For us, this is a very particularly exciting and new development of the Spanish League. We are trying to change the gears in terms of how the Spanish League and its players are being promoted internationally.

“We feel we have a lot to offer to the world of football in general, and we think that Asia is one of the key areas for the expansion of football in general and of the Spanish League in particular.”

Vieta added: “After the exploits of Barcelona in the 2009/10 season, and with Spain recently emerging as World Cup champions, we felt that this is the best time to introduce the LFP International Cup and share the beauty of Spanish football with the Asian market.”

 

NBA team, Chicago Bulls have announced a five-year extension of its radio broadcast agreement with ESPN 1000 that will keep the team on the station through the 2016-17 season.

ESPN 1000 will air all regular season and playoff games, three preseason games, halftime, pregame and postgame as the flagship station of the Chicago Bulls Radio Network.

John Cravens, GM and vice president of ESPN 1000, said: “We are very pleased to renew this long-standing partnership between the Chicago Bulls and ESPN Chicago. These two great brands will continue to entertain Chicago sports fans for many years to come.”

ESPN 1000 has been the Bulls’ flagship station for 15 of the past 16 seasons.

Chicago Bulls president and COO Michael Reinsdorf, added: “We are excited about the opportunity to extend our association with a great brand like ESPN and to be able to continue to bring our fans every Bulls game via radio.”