Friday, 8th April 2011

RIGHTS FEE & DISTRIBUTION

=>  Romanian state broadcaster, TVR, has offered only €1 mil ($1.43 mil) /season for an unnamed package of rights to Romania’s Liga 1, under a third of the starting price. The LPF began a tender process for rights from 2011/12 to 2013/14 and TVR withdrew from the race citing financial reasons. TVR is now only willing to pay €1 mil /season (total €3 mil) for 1 of the 9 packages, far from the asking price of €3.5 mil /season (total €10.5 mil). Earlier, cable operator RCS-RDS emerged winner of the 1st package bidding €13.2 mil (€4.4 mil /season).  Romtelecom won 2nd package, bidding €12.9 mil (or €4.3 mil /season). Antena 1 won 8th package, agreeing to €10.5 mil (or €3.5 mil /season). Current Liga 1 rights from 2008/09 to 2010/11 are with consortium of RCS-RDS and Antena 1 in a deal worth €85 mil ($121 mil) or €102 mil in total, but the three new deals agreed are worth only €36.6 mil.


BROADCAST

=>  Japan is close to reversing its decision to pull out of the 2011 Copa America. The Japan Football Association met with the Argentinian Football Association and Conmebol where they agreed "to try to find a solution" to allow Japan to take part in the Copa America while its domestic J-League continues. Reports suggested Japan's withdrawal would have negative impact on Asian TV rights holders. However, appointed rights agency FSA Media, has sold rights to broadcasters across the region and says interest will remain high regardless of Japan's involvement. Deals in Asia for Copa America have been signed with CCTV, Hong Kong Cable, NHK, RCTI, BBTV, Astro, StarHub, SBS, VCTV, Elta, Sky Net, TDM, SBS and Sky NZ.

=>  The ICC World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka drew an average rating of 23.2, with a peak rating of 35.91. Over 120 mil viewers sampled the match, delivering an All-India reach of 61%. The rating surpassed the 21 TVR garnered by the high profile India-Pakistan semi-final match, which was sampled by 115 mil viewers. Overall, average TVR for the 2011 World Cup was 3.86, compared to 2.02 TVR in 2007 when India was knocked out of the tournament in the first round. All 9 of India matches in the tournament delivered an average TVR of 12. The finals was watched live by 180 mil viewers on Star Sports, Star Cricket and DD Sports, which is 90% of the total cable/sat viewers, while ESS racked up 166.2 mil viewers, 84% of the total cable/sat viewers.

=>  French TV group Trace announced its international sport celebrity channel Trace Sport to be launched in June 2011. Pre-launch will begin in May in Asia, showing 70 % of Trace’s programmes and on its launch day in June, it will be offered into 30 countries. A distribution agreement has been signed with Multichoice dish platform DStv in Sub-Saharan Africa. In France, Trace Sports will go to IPTV platforms and Numericable with an objective to reach 50 mil households in three years. Targeting the 15-49 demographic, the new channel will be carried in 8 languages and will not offer sporting events but documentary, infotainment and profiles of sport celebrities. It will start with a €10 million budget, with 60 % going to content, as 70 % of them will be produced in Native HD.

=>  French sports news channel, L’Equipe TV, owned by the Amaury Group is eyeing a spot on France’s digital free TV network, but is not targeting exclusive sports rights. The channel is illegible candidate for one of two new spaces for a high-definition free DTT channel. L’Equipe TV, launched in 1998, is already available on satellite, cable and IPTV. The budget for the channel will be tripled to €30 mil ($42.8 mil) and will envisage €40 mil in advertising revenue. CSA, France’s broadcast watchdog, is yet to launch the tender for new spaces on the free DTT network. L’Equipe TV holds live rights in France to the World Series of Boxing, the 12-team, city franchise-based competition created by the AIBA.


NEW MEDIA

=>  Google is working on a major overhaul of its YouTube online video platform to make it compete better with broadcasters and cable TV firms. Google will invest up to $100 mil on original content as YouTube is overhauled to organise its content around arts and sports. About 20 of those channels will feature hours of professionally produced original programming a week with other channels assembled from content already on the site. A major push into content has been expected for some time. Back in Feb, Google was reported to be in discussions to stream live basketball and hockey games over YouTube.


EVENT

=>  A compromise seems to be emerging between the FIH recognised Hockey India and rival Indian Hockey Federation in the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament , which will have players from both camps. Hockey India selectors had a look at a group of 40 training at the National Stadium and a batch of 21 sent in by the IHF. The first list of 45 have been selected, including players from both lists. The final list of the team that will turn out for the Azlan Shah will be announced on 19 April.

=>  Road cycling’s new Tour of Beijing is a “significant step” in globalising cycling and will benefit from major media exposure around the world. UCI and the Beijing municipal government, finalised a 4-year deal for the Chinese capital to host an event on the top-tier UCI WorldTour from 2011 to 2014. The event will be an extension of the UCI WorldTour to a fourth continent after Europe, Oceania (Tour Down Under) and North America (GP Cycliste de Quebec and de Montreal). The race will draw participation of the 18 UCI ProTeams and is expected to reach 150 mil television homes worldwide.

=>  Punjab will hold a 4 or 6-nation hockey tournament with a prize ranging between $100,000 to $150,000 around September at the 5 stadia it is developing at a cost of nearly Rs1 bil. The plan is to bring in national teams of India, Pakistan, Australia and Holland for a 4-nation tourney, adding England and Germany for a 6-nation one. The event will be a double-leg tournament for the prize for which the state is confident of finding sponsors. With all plans in place and on track, the state is only waiting a mandate from Hockey India to proceed with the event.


OTHER BUSINESS NEWS

=>  LeBron James has acquired a minority stake in Liverpool FC after entering a partnership with Fenway Sports Group, the club’s US owner. The size of James’ stake in Liverpool has not been disclosed. FSG said the partnership would target developing sports markets such as Asia, where both James and Liverpool have a large following. Meanwhile, Liverpool announced plans for a tour of Asia this summer, including matches in Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul. The pre-season tour in July will be sponsored by Standard Chartered, the bank which is Liverpool’s shirt sponsor and has significant interests in the Far East.