Digit-Alb Acquires Rights to Broadcast Bundesliga In Albania

Digit-Alb will be the home of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in Albania and Kosovo after the broadcaster agreed a four-year deal with Bundesliga International, a subsidiary of DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga.

The agreement means that Digit-Alb has exclusive rights to live coverage of all matches from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, thereby delivering end-to-end action every matchday from one of Europe’s most exciting leagues. The deal also includes live broadcasting of the German Supercup, which will this year take place between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern München on 17 August, and the all-important relegation play-offs at the end of each season.

Furthermore, Digit-Alb will also broadcast a number of on-demand Bundesliga programmes, such as the Bundesliga Highlights Show and Bundesliga Weekly, to keep Albanian and Kosovan football fans up to date with all the latest news from the German top flight.

Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein said: “Digit-Alb has broadcast the Bundesliga for many seasons, and we are pleased to conclude a deal whereby we are now working directly with them for the next four years. Together we aim to entertain even more football fans from Albania and Kosovo with world-class German football every single matchday.”

Digit-Alb’s CEO Altin Petre said “We are glad to continue the fantastic experience of Bundesliga broadcasting, and being licensed directly by Bundesliga we are confident we’ll improve even more the broadcast quality.”

MinisterAccord Launch At SportAccord 2021 In Ekaterinburg To Strengthen Co-operation

SportAccord will bring together political leaders and governmental decision-makers from around the world for the inaugural MinisterAccord at the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

MinisterAccord, on the afternoon of Thursday 11 November 2021, will be an exclusive gathering of Ministers from sport and tourism, designed to discuss and examine the most pressing and relevant issues for countries and regions within the international sport movement.

MinisterAccord will provide nations, leaders and ministries with a unique opportunity to work together to develop the future of sport and consider how to engage with International Sport Federations and ultimately drive growth opportunities within sport and sport tourism.

In addition, the gathering will allow for key governmental decision-makers to share best practices and explore how sport can break down barriers for the development of a healthy society and economy by inspiring people to live an active and healthy lifestyle.

MinisterAccord will feature a Welcome Address from SportAccord President Dr. Raffaele Chiulli and a Host Nation Address from Russian Federation Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin, as well as further speeches, and an open and interactive discussion session followed by a lunch gathering.

“MinisterAccord is an exciting addition to the programme for SportAccord 2021 as it will strengthen co-operation between nations to ensure the continuing development of sport and sport tourism around the world,” SportAccord Managing Director Nis Hatt said.

“MinisterAccord will be an opportunity to build bridges for the betterment of society and sport by sharing best practices and discussing essential topics. We look forward to welcoming leaders, ministers and decision-makers to Ekaterinburg for this new and exciting initiative.”

Speaking at the recent Virtual Launch Celebration for SportAccord 2021, Russian Federation Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin said: “Sport and government must work together. In order for us to recover stronger, we must act like players on the same team.

“There will be areas that require the skills of sports players, and other areas that require the skills of government players, especially concerning Ministers of Sport. For this reason, I am very happy to see MinisterAccord introduced to SportAccord in Ekaterinburg.”

MinisterAccord will sit alongside SportAccord’s other established conference streams, offering delegates clear signposts to specific areas of interest during a busy week of meetings and networking opportunities in Ekaterinburg, from 7-12 November 2021.

Canal+ Claim They Will Not Broadcast Ligue 1 Following Amazon Rights Share

Canal+ is withdrawing the rights to broadcast Ligue 1 games in France it claims, as it is refuses to share the rights with Amazon.

The decision comes shortly after the French League had announced that half the rights to show Ligue 1 games would be split between Amazon and Canal+ in a deal worth €663 million ($802.23 million), according to France24.

“After the failure of the choice of Mediapro in 2018, Canal+ regrets the decision of the Ligue de Football Professionnel to accept today the bid of Amazon to the detriment of that of its historical partners Canal+ and beIN Sports,” the Canal+ statement read.

“Canal+ will not, therefore, be broadcasting Ligue 1”

Amazon Prime Video in France had won the rights to broadcast eight football matches a week from the country’s Ligue 1 in a deal reportedly worth €250 million a year.

The league announced plans to split the rights between Amazon and Canal Plus, with the French broadcaster picking up two matches a week as part of the deal which begins at the start of the new season and runs for three years.

Team GB Names Randox Health As Covid Testing Partner

The British Olympic Association and Randox Health, the United Kingdom’s largest Covid-19 PCR testing provider have signed a two-year partnership for Team GB’s Covid-19 testing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in 2021 and Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

By agreeing the best possible testing service plan, Randox and Team GB can together provide more certainty for the Olympians’ safe travel from the UK to Tokyo, and home again.

To provide its gold-standard PCR testing services, Randox has created a bespoke dashboard for Team GB to register its samples, which will be taken by the Team GB Clinical Team and then transported to the company’s laboratory in Northern Ireland.

Randox will test over 1,000 Olympians, coaches and support staff in order to meet Japan’s stringent testing requirements and thereby minimising possible transmission of the virus. Randox will provide each member of Team GB with three rounds of pre-departure tests – 14 days, 96 hours and 72 hours prior to departure – plus Day 2, Day 5 (if required) and Day 8 testing once back in the UK.

British Olympic Association CEO, Andy Anson, said: “This is a fantastic and vital partnership for Team GB ahead of Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022. We have committed to our hosts in Japan and the IOC to ensure that our delegation is fully vaccinated and are also ensuring we have enhanced Covid testing in place. Randox’s pedigree in this area gives us great confidence that we are providing athletes with the best possible medical support around Covid testing and that they get to the start line safely ready to compete successfully for the biggest moment of their sporting careers.”

Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Health, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Team GB by helping them get safely to the starting line in Tokyo with our premium Covid-19 testing services, the provision of which has been a major focus of ours since the outbreak of the pandemic.

“Over the last year, we have been investing significantly in our customer service and testing capacity, which means Randox can now process over 500,000 tests per day, making it the largest laboratory in Europe, and to date has processed over 13 million tests. For this reason, our Olympians and anyone else who needs to travel internationally can rest assured that they will receive timely results.”

ELEVEN Secures Live Rights To 2021 Copa America In Italy

ELEVEN SPORTS has secured comprehensive LIVE rights to the 2021 Copa America in Italy. 

The 47th edition of the iconic South American tournament will take place in Brazil from Sunday (June 13th) and run until July 10th. 

ELEVEN Italy fans will have the chance to watch all 28 Copa America matches live and on-demand on ELEVEN’s OTT platform, so they don’t have to miss a moment of the action.

ELEVEN launched its Italy operation in 2017 with a purely digital offering and the mission to meet the demands of underserved fans. ELEVEN’s online streaming platform and social media channels provide extensive live coverage of Serie C football, Super Lega volleyball, water polo and more.

McLaren Racing To Enter Extreme E In 2022

McLaren Racing will open a new motorsport chapter in 2022 when it enters a team into Extreme E, the innovative all-electric off-road series which aims to use racing to promote sustainability and diversity.

The team will compete in the five-race global championship, helping to accelerate McLaren Racing’s own sustainability and diversity agenda, while reaching new fans and partners, and growing the McLaren Racing brand and franchise.

Extreme E highlights the impact of climate change in some of the world’s most remote environments, promotes the adoption of electric vehicles to pave the way for a lower carbon future, and provides a world-first gender-equal motorsport platform.

The decision to enter Extreme E follows a detailed evaluation of the series by McLaren against a set of strategic, economic and operational criteria. These were underpinned by a clear imperative for accelerating McLaren Racing’s own sustainability mission, which places carbon reduction, the recycling, reuse and elimination of waste, and diversity, equality and inclusion at its core.

Extreme E aims to minimise environmental impact but maximise awareness, racing in places that have already been damaged or affected by climate change, taking fans deep into the heart of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet. At the same time, the series has built-in equality and diversity, with each team fielding one male and one female driver.

In parallel, Extreme E is helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for mobility innovation, which motorsport has long been associated with as an accelerator of research and development.

McLaren Racing has been a leader in electric motorsport from the outset, supplying the battery powertrain to the FIA Formula E Championship for the Gen 1 and Gen 2 seasons, employing the same technology pioneered in the McLaren P1 hypercar. With its move from supplier to team, McLaren Racing will continue to build its know-how and expertise in the all-electric racing space.

Simultaneous competition in different series has been embedded in McLaren Racing since the founding of the team, with Can-Am, Formula 1, INDYCAR and Le Mans all forming part of the McLaren legacy of motorsport competition and innovation. Extreme E will add to the diverse McLaren Racing portfolio, with Formula 1 firmly at the centre, together with INDYCAR and esports.

The team will be operated by McLaren Racing using both existing personnel from outside the Formula 1 programme and additional specialist resource. Like all teams, McLaren Racing is limited to four mechanics and one engineer at each event for the one-make car and its two drivers, transported by Extreme E as part of the overall franchise package.


Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, commented:“From the moment Extreme E was announced we have been following the progress of the series closely. Our attention was immediately drawn by the innovative format of this motorsport platform, in particular the ability it gives us to accelerate and boost our own overarching sustainability agenda, which shares the same priorities of decarbonisation, waste reduction, diversity and equality.

“At the same time, it will enable us to reach a new audience with an innovative race format, connect with a new generation of fans through content served across a variety of channels and provide partners with a purpose-led competition platform to align with and share in a positive, powerful narrative.

“From the outset, McLaren has always been at the forefront and never afraid to push new boundaries. This new venture is true to our roots of participating in a variety of categories, innovation and bravery. Extreme E is paving new ground in motorsport as a force for good in confronting some of the biggest challenges facing our world today and in the future.

“While Formula 1 will always remain at the centre of our world, like INDYCAR and esports, our entry into Extreme E is additive to the McLaren Racing franchise and will complement and help support all our programmes. We will be competing against big names we’re very familiar with from F1 and INDYCAR but, like all series we compete in, the competition objective is clear: we are there to win.”


Alejandro Agag, CEO of Extreme E, said: “Extreme E’s mission is to use sport to build awareness and accelerate clean technology innovations that benefit the mobility industry and beyond. To have McLaren on board, which symbolises the highest level of racing and automotive innovation, is a huge endorsement that what we have delivered in just our first two races of Season 1 has already created real impact in motorsport.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Zak and the powerhouse McLaren Racing team to Extreme E, and it’s safe to say, we can’t wait to see how the team performs in its first off-road, electric racing debut. Season 2 just got very exciting!” 

Premier League Clubs Agree To An Owners’ Charter

At the Premier League’s Annual General Meeting, Shareholders discussed a range of matters and recommitted to build on the collective of all 20 clubs to benefit the wider game.

Following agreement between the Premier League, The FA and the six clubs involved in the proposals to form a European Super League, Shareholders approved rules to further protect the League against any future competition breakaways. Clubs in breach of the new rules will be subject to significant sanctions.

Clubs also agreed to the principle of an Owners’ Charter, which will reaffirm the values and expectations placed on clubs and their owners.

These additional rules and regulations are being put in place to ensure the principles of the Premier League and open competition are protected and provide certainty and stability for our clubs and their fans.

Discovery To Continue Broadcast Of French Open Across Europe

Discovery, the global leader in real-life entertainment, and the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT) have announced a new agreement that will see Roland-Garros brought to millions of fans across Europe for a further five years.

This new deal will leverage Discovery’s unique assets across Eurosport, discovery+ and its broad network of free-to-air channels throughout Europe, to ensure Roland-Garros continues to grow its audience in the world’s most important tennis markets.



Commencing 2022, the renewal of the multi-platform rights will extend the FFT’s partnership with Discovery’s premium sports brand Eurosport to over 35 years having delivered every Roland-Garros tournament since 1989.

The long-term partnership deepens its association with the FFT, enabling Discovery to tell the key stories from Roland-Garros, offering unrivalled expertise, analysis and storytelling from the best experts across a multitude of platforms on both linear and digital.

Andrew Georgiou, President, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Services, said: “Our relationship with Roland-Garros spans many years and during that time we have consistently delivered ever increasing viewership and engagement as the trusted partner of the FFT.

“Our coverage is recognised for reaching the widest audience by harnessing the greatest expertise and the most innovative technology, and by committing to a renewed long-term partnership with the FFT, we will continue to bring world-class tennis from Roland-Garros to millions of fans each year across Europe.”

Gilles Moretton, President of the FFT, said: “Our Grand Slam teaming up with Discovery, a company with such extensive reach, illustrates how Roland-Garros has stepped up its ambitions on the international stage. With this partnership, our shared aim is to offer a unique experience to all of Roland-Garros’ European fans.”

UEFA Signs Alibaba’s AntChain As Global Blockchain Partner

UEFA and AntChain, Ant Group’s blockchain business, have announced a five-year partnership.

Ant Group is the FinTech arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.

The aim of the UEFA/AntChain tie up is to explore how blockchain technology can be used to further football’s digital transformation efforts and improve the experiences of fans around the world.

Under the agreement, AntChain will become the official global blockchain partner of UEFA Euro 2020, which kicks off tomorrow, and also the 2024 event.

Meanwhile, the tournament’s top scorer trophy has been designed by Ant Group’s digital payment offshoot Alipay (a UEFA global partner since November 2018).

According to the press release: ” The trophy is sculpted in the shape of the Chinese character “支” (pronounced zhi, and meaning ‘payment’ as well as ‘support’), the barefooted player on the trophy reflects the egalitarian footballing ideal that success on the pitch comes regardless of background or status”.

It adds: “The hash code on the base of the trophy underlines AntChain’s commitment to ensuring a permanent, incorruptible record of the top scorer’s achievements with blockchain technology”.

NFL Launches Process To Identify Host City For Regular Games In Germany

The National Football League has announced the launch of a process to identify a partner city for regular-season games in Germany.

The NFL, which has staged 28 games in London since 2007 and will play two more at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October, is aiming to find the most suitable German city for a possible expansion of the International Series into mainland Europe.

NFL regular-season games, which have also been played in Mexico and Canada, provide a platform for cities to be showcased around the world, as they host the NFL’s unique blend of intense competition, high-level athleticism, entertainment and fan engagement.

“The International Series has become a highlight of the sporting calendar in the UK, with many fans travelling from Germany to attend,” said BRETT GOSPER, NFL Head of UK and Europe. “We are very excited about the development of our German fan base, and the time is right to identify a partner who can execute a game at NFL standards as part of our international growth strategy.

“This process is designed to explore potential local partnerships, stadium suitability and game logistics. We need engaged and motivated host partners that span the public sector, venue, sport, community and major event spheres and can help us deliver a high-impact event and a long-term partnership. Identifying a preferred host city is a key step in bringing regular-season NFL games to our millions of German fans.”

The process follows a number of strong years of fan growth in Germany.  Weekly NFL television viewership on partners ProSieben and DAZN has grown by more than 20 percent annually since 2017, and millions of fans tuned in for Super Bowl LV, making it the third consecutive season of record German Super Bowl viewership. Germany is a leading market outside North America for NFL Shop sales, fantasy football participation and sales of the Madden NFL video game.

The NFL has engaged London-based The Sports Consultancy to assist in the process, including working with interested cities to develop their proposals.

NFL owners recently demonstrated their commitment to international growth by passing a resolution stating that from 2022 onwards all 32 clubs will play internationally at least once every eight years, ensuring diversity of participating teams and long-term inventory. Up to four neutral site games per year will be scheduled outside the US.

German-born players are making an increasing impact on the NFL, with fullback Jakob Johnson a regular starter for the New England Patriots during the 2020 season and two other Germans currently on NFL rosters as part of the International Player Pathway program, David Bada (Washington) and Aaron Donkor (Seattle Seahawks). In recent seasons Sebastian Vollmer won two Super Bowls (XLIX and LI) as part of the Patriots offensive line that protected quarterback Tom Brady, while Björn Werner was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

The NFL’s regular-season games in London have attracted average crowds of more than 80,000 and have driven exponential growth in the NFL’s UK presence, which now includes an NFL Academy for young student-athletes in London, a nationwide Flag football programme and a partnership with Tottenham Hotspur that has given the League its first purpose-built NFL stadium outside the United States.

The NFL previously staged five preseason games in Germany between 1990 and 1994, and had a professional team presence in Germany between 1991 and 2007, with the Berlin Thunder, Cologne Centurions, Frankfurt Galaxy, Hamburg Sea Devils and Rhein Fire playing at various times in the former World League/NFL Europe League/NFL Europa.