RIGHTS FEES
=> Pitch Int. has been retained by English Football League to distribute international rights to for 5 years beginning 2012/13. The league said that the “record five-year overseas broadcasting deal” had been concluded after a “highly competitive sales process.” Pitch sold rights in Middle East in the present 3-yr period, expiring at end 2011/12, with IMG handling rights in other regions outside the UK and Ireland. However, the Carling Cup (and the 3 lower divisions), has returned to having a single agency partner for the worldwide distribution of rights. Previous overseas rights deals were worth £24 mil ($39 mil) over 3 seasons covering 96 countries. The longer-term international deal will help compensate for a decline in the value of its UK media rights after the declined to extend live rights beyond the 2011/12. British Sky Broadcasting agreed to pay £195 mil for exclusive UK live rights to the Football League and Carling Cup for 2012/13 to 14/15 compared with the £264 mil the clubs share in the current 3-yr deal with BSkyB and the BBC.
=> UK’s ITV, holders of rights to broadcast the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, is to show the matches live via iPhones and iPads, allowing UK viewers to watch games on their way to work, due to time-difference. The Rugby World Cup is scheduled for September 9 to October 23. This was revealed as ITV revealed an 86% rise in half-year profits to £204 mil ($334 mil). The increase came even though ad revenues were down 6% in the second quarter. Revenues from Jan to Jun rose to £1.03 bil from £987 mil.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Endemol Sport, organiser of the Dublin Super Cup, announced that the friendly tournament will be broadcast to over 160 territories worldwide through agreements for over 20 new broadcast deals. The inaugural tournament takes place in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium over the Irish Bank Holiday weekend and was launched as a result of a 10-year deal struck in 2010 between Endemol Sport and The Football Association of Ireland. The first tournament will feature England's Manchester City, Italy's Internazionale, Scotland's Celtic and a team representing the Airtricity League of Ireland. Endemol Sports previously signed 3-yr broadcast deals with Sky Sports in the UK, Fox Soccer in USA and SuperSport in Africa. Further deals have now been reached around the globe taking the total number of broadcasters to over 25.
EVENTS
=> Nimbus Sport, marketing for the Indian Hockey Federation, announced plans to invest Rs 2.5 bil (US$56.5 mil) in the World Series Hockey, but which is yet to be officially sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation. The announcement comes after the confirmation of eight franchises agreeing to participate in the 5-wk event starting 15 Dec. The inaugural series will consist of 61 matches, with each teams playing 14 league matches. The tournament offers US$2 mil in prize money and will involve around 40 overseas players, with all of the players, captains and coaches distributed among the franchises via a draft system.
=> FIFA is confident that Brazil will stage a successful World Cup in 2014 despite work still required on infrastructure. The federation has been critical of the pace of preparations, notably with regard to stadia and transport links. There were fears that Sao Paulo would be unable to provide a venue capable of hosting the opening match and other major fixtures at the World Cup, but Sao Paolo club Corinthians recently announced building a new R$820 mil ($528 mil) stadium which will serve this purpose. Meanwhile, the iconic Maracana Stadium is undergoing renovation to host the WC final, and the opening and closing ceremonies and soccer matches of the 2016 Olympics. The 2014 World Cup will take place from June 12 to July 13.
BIZ & BITES
=> Revenues for cricket-related TV advertising in India exceeded INR 2,000 crore this year, with ad slots accounting for 20% of the total TV marketing budget in 2011. According to Financial Express, ad revenues of about INR 1,500 crore were generated by ICC Cricket World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournaments. The 5 top sports channels in 2010 cricket generated a total of INR 1,300 crore in ad revenue. With India’s tour of England, this year’s cricketing bonanza is set to continue on TV. ESPN Star Sports, rights holder for the England v India cricket series, has commitment worth INR 180-200 crore from over 40 brands. During the tour India and England will play four test matches, five one day internationals and one T20 game.
=> FIFA has given Caribbean officials who attended a meeting in May at which bribes were allegedly offered by presidential candidate, Mohamed Bin Hammam, 48 hours to provide relevant and accurate information on the event. FIFA said that individuals who have information but fail to come forward “will be subject to the full range of sanctions.” On Saturday, Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation, was banned for life from soccer after being found guilty on bribery charges. He is refusing to step down as AFC chief, although there have been calls for elections to appoint a replacement. China’s Zhang Jilong has been serving as acting AFC chief since Bin Hammam was suspended and AFC is set to discuss the leadership situation at a meeting on Friday.
=> Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of the European Club Association, upped the ante in a power struggle between the clubs and FIFA by calling for a “revolution” against the world body, suggesting that there could be a breakaway concerns are not addressed over corruption and fixture congestion. Rummenigge is exasperated at the scandals engulfing FIFA, saying: “It [football] is a nice game decided by people who are corrupt and I am ready for a revolution if that is the only way to come to a clean and serious football family.” The ECA represents over 200 European clubs and has raised concerns over the demands placed on international players, a theme taken on by Rummenigge, who pointed out that the EURO will expand to 24 teams in 2016, compared with 8 in 1980, and that the World Cup now involves 32 teams, up from 16 in the 1970s.
=> Meanwhile, Sepp Blatter denies being too much influence in running of FIFA and the sport and pledges to oversee reforms over the next nine months to fight corruption. Blatter, head of FIFA since 1998, has been criticized by banned exco member, Mohd Bin Hammam and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of European Club Association, over his leadership, both claiming that he is resistant to change. Bin Hammam has accused Blatter of silencing people opposed to his way of running FIFA while Rummenigge questioned Blatter’s preparedness to clean up the sport. However, Blatter said that anti-corruption measures would be drawn up over the next months and the federation had been in contact with those working on anti-corruption systems with the United Nations.
Wednesday, 27th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> France Télévisions signed a 2-yr extension to its Tour de France deal up to the 2015 event. FT's present 5-yr deal with ASO was signed in 2008 and was worth about €23 mil ($33.1 mil) /yr. The new deal also includes other cycling events organised by ASO and the Dakar Rally. Earlier, ASO agreed a new deal for various races (including the Tour de France) with the European Broadcasting Union from 2012 to 2015. The 2011 Tour de France finished over the weekend and was won by Australia’s Cadel Evans.
=> Australia’s National Rugby League has provoked incredulity over an estimate that its rights could be worth up to A$1.4 bil ($1.5 bil) over five years, as they bid to match the total $1.25-billion value of deals that the Australian Football League recently agreed with pay-TV Fox Sports, Telstra and Seven Network. NRL rights negotiations are due to start soon, following the formation of an independent commission that is being set up to run the game. The league is jointly owned by News Corporation media group, and the Australian Rugby League, which presently runs the competition. The NRL’s rights are presently shared by Nine and Fox Sports, the pay-television channel carried by Foxtel, in deals worth A$500 million that expire at the end of next season.
=> The Italian Serie A and Serie B could be close to starting a TV channel of their own as they bid to break the stranglehold on their live rights by pay-TV Sky Italia and commercial broadcaster, Mediaset. The Leagues to increase the capital of Lega Calcio Service, their jointly-owned service company, from €550,000 ($790,900) to €6.2 mil and to expand its activities to include media services. Under the present 2-yr deals with Sky and Mediaset, the League receives over €900 mil /season for rights, but clubs are concerned with a reduction in competition in the Italian pay TV market which could cause a drop in fees for the next rights contract. They have stated they will not accept less than €1 bil /season for the new contract period beginning with the 2012-13 season.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation has made the move to digital, switching off analogue broadcasts in all areas of Japan except for those hit hardest by the recent earthquake and tsunami. After 58 years on the air, analogue broadcast has ended in Japan. In Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, the three prefectures impacted most by March's devastating earthquake and tsunami, analogue signals will remain until March 31, 2012.
STATS & DATA
=> Revenues from global sales of on-demand movies and TV programs will reach $5.7 bil in 2016, up from $3.6 bil in 2010, according to Digital TV Research. The On-demand TV Forecasts predicts digital cable will generate $2.6 bil in 2016, double the $1.5 bil for 2010. DTH is expected to rake in $1.7 bil in revenues in 2016, remaining the second largest contributor to on-demand revenues and by 2012, IPTV will overtake DTT as the third largest platform. Revenues are expected to triple in Asia Pacific over the same period, reaching $1.2 bil, with China leading the growth.
EVENTS
=> Team triathlon, in which a 4-person mixed team each completes all three disciplines, was accepted onto the 2014 Asian Games calendar in Incheon, a move which the Int. Triathlon Union hopes is a step towards being accepted into the Olympics. Team Triathlon was included in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year. The IOC’s executive board will decide in 2013 whether to include team triathlon in the programme for the 2016 Olympics. The 2014 Asian Games are scheduled for Sep 14 to Oct 4.
BIZ & BITES
=> Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg leads the MediaGuardian 100 annual list of the most powerful media people, while Rupert Murdoch fell from 4th to sixth and son James dropped off the top ten. Zuckerberg bumps Steve Jobs off number one down to fifth. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey is second, in third is Google’s Larry Page and BBC’s Mark Thompson in fourth. The top ten also includes WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell (8) and X-Factor’s Simon Cowell (9). The top ten people in TV; BBC’s Thompson tops the list again with Cowell in second. New entry Danny Cohen, controller of BBC One, is in at third and Elisabeth Murdoch at ninth, with George Entwistle, the director of BBC Vision, capping off the top ten.
=> The warring bodies that both purport to run field hockey in India have reached a temporary truce, but insisted the interim settlement does not amount to the full merger that was being sought. The two bodies, Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation have formed a joint executive and working committees to work jointly to organise the national championships, prepare and select the national teams and participation in international tournaments. However, both teams will go ahead with their plans for apparently competing, Indian Premier League-style, city franchise-based professional hockey leagues.
=> The 2010/11 NFL season will kick off as scheduled in Sep after players approved a new 10-yr collective agreement, ending a lockout which threatened to disrupt the campaign. The NFL Players’ Association accepted a deal approved by team owners and the 32 teams will now begin preparation ahead of the first pre-season games on Aug 11. The 4-month lockout had sparked fears of a cancellation of the 2010/11 season but teams and players finally agreed on respective shares of the league’s $9-bil annual turnover, the main stumbling block in the dispute. Teams will now receive 53%, while players get 47%, and the salary cap per team for the next 3 seasons is $120.4 mil /campaign (plus $22 mil in benefits) with teams committed to spend 89% of the limit.
=> France Télévisions signed a 2-yr extension to its Tour de France deal up to the 2015 event. FT's present 5-yr deal with ASO was signed in 2008 and was worth about €23 mil ($33.1 mil) /yr. The new deal also includes other cycling events organised by ASO and the Dakar Rally. Earlier, ASO agreed a new deal for various races (including the Tour de France) with the European Broadcasting Union from 2012 to 2015. The 2011 Tour de France finished over the weekend and was won by Australia’s Cadel Evans.
=> Australia’s National Rugby League has provoked incredulity over an estimate that its rights could be worth up to A$1.4 bil ($1.5 bil) over five years, as they bid to match the total $1.25-billion value of deals that the Australian Football League recently agreed with pay-TV Fox Sports, Telstra and Seven Network. NRL rights negotiations are due to start soon, following the formation of an independent commission that is being set up to run the game. The league is jointly owned by News Corporation media group, and the Australian Rugby League, which presently runs the competition. The NRL’s rights are presently shared by Nine and Fox Sports, the pay-television channel carried by Foxtel, in deals worth A$500 million that expire at the end of next season.
=> The Italian Serie A and Serie B could be close to starting a TV channel of their own as they bid to break the stranglehold on their live rights by pay-TV Sky Italia and commercial broadcaster, Mediaset. The Leagues to increase the capital of Lega Calcio Service, their jointly-owned service company, from €550,000 ($790,900) to €6.2 mil and to expand its activities to include media services. Under the present 2-yr deals with Sky and Mediaset, the League receives over €900 mil /season for rights, but clubs are concerned with a reduction in competition in the Italian pay TV market which could cause a drop in fees for the next rights contract. They have stated they will not accept less than €1 bil /season for the new contract period beginning with the 2012-13 season.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation has made the move to digital, switching off analogue broadcasts in all areas of Japan except for those hit hardest by the recent earthquake and tsunami. After 58 years on the air, analogue broadcast has ended in Japan. In Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, the three prefectures impacted most by March's devastating earthquake and tsunami, analogue signals will remain until March 31, 2012.
STATS & DATA
=> Revenues from global sales of on-demand movies and TV programs will reach $5.7 bil in 2016, up from $3.6 bil in 2010, according to Digital TV Research. The On-demand TV Forecasts predicts digital cable will generate $2.6 bil in 2016, double the $1.5 bil for 2010. DTH is expected to rake in $1.7 bil in revenues in 2016, remaining the second largest contributor to on-demand revenues and by 2012, IPTV will overtake DTT as the third largest platform. Revenues are expected to triple in Asia Pacific over the same period, reaching $1.2 bil, with China leading the growth.
EVENTS
=> Team triathlon, in which a 4-person mixed team each completes all three disciplines, was accepted onto the 2014 Asian Games calendar in Incheon, a move which the Int. Triathlon Union hopes is a step towards being accepted into the Olympics. Team Triathlon was included in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year. The IOC’s executive board will decide in 2013 whether to include team triathlon in the programme for the 2016 Olympics. The 2014 Asian Games are scheduled for Sep 14 to Oct 4.
BIZ & BITES
=> Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg leads the MediaGuardian 100 annual list of the most powerful media people, while Rupert Murdoch fell from 4th to sixth and son James dropped off the top ten. Zuckerberg bumps Steve Jobs off number one down to fifth. Twitter’s Jack Dorsey is second, in third is Google’s Larry Page and BBC’s Mark Thompson in fourth. The top ten also includes WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell (8) and X-Factor’s Simon Cowell (9). The top ten people in TV; BBC’s Thompson tops the list again with Cowell in second. New entry Danny Cohen, controller of BBC One, is in at third and Elisabeth Murdoch at ninth, with George Entwistle, the director of BBC Vision, capping off the top ten.
=> The warring bodies that both purport to run field hockey in India have reached a temporary truce, but insisted the interim settlement does not amount to the full merger that was being sought. The two bodies, Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation have formed a joint executive and working committees to work jointly to organise the national championships, prepare and select the national teams and participation in international tournaments. However, both teams will go ahead with their plans for apparently competing, Indian Premier League-style, city franchise-based professional hockey leagues.
=> The 2010/11 NFL season will kick off as scheduled in Sep after players approved a new 10-yr collective agreement, ending a lockout which threatened to disrupt the campaign. The NFL Players’ Association accepted a deal approved by team owners and the 32 teams will now begin preparation ahead of the first pre-season games on Aug 11. The 4-month lockout had sparked fears of a cancellation of the 2010/11 season but teams and players finally agreed on respective shares of the league’s $9-bil annual turnover, the main stumbling block in the dispute. Teams will now receive 53%, while players get 47%, and the salary cap per team for the next 3 seasons is $120.4 mil /campaign (plus $22 mil in benefits) with teams committed to spend 89% of the limit.
Monday, 25th July 2011
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Malaysia’s Star Publications has invested RM35 mil ($11.7 mil) for 51% share in the Asian channel operator LI TV Holdings. LI TV Holdings' owner, Juita Viden, will hold 49% equity in .LI TV Holdings which operates Life Inspired (Li), an Asian HD pan-regional lifestyle channel. The service, which features first-run and exclusive programs focused on food, home, wellness, travel and style, launched in August 2009 and expanded onto ten other platforms over two years. Its reach includes Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan. By next month, the channel will launch on three additional platforms in North Asia.
=> Bloomberg TV has expanded its reach over 20% this year and is now the most widely distributed full-time, pan-regional business and financial news channel in the region’s key financial hubs of Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Korea. BTV achieved this distribution lead by strategic territories in Asia-Pac, the result of a concentrated distribution drive. In Singapore, BTV is available to all StarHub and mioTV homes, totaling over 840,000 subs. In Australia, BTV is seen in in 2.2 mil homes while in Hong Kong, it stands at over 1.6 mil and 3.2 mil households in Korea. BTV is now in more than 12 mil home across the region.
=> Neo Sports acquired broadcast rights to the Rugby World Cup 2011, from 9 Sep to 23 Oct in New Zealand. Neo will broadcast all 48 matches live to 100 mil homes. Japan is to host the Rugby WC in 2019, a first for Asia. Along with the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympic Games, increasing the popularity of the sport right across Asia is key to the International Rugby Board’s development plan over the next 10 years. Neo also televised the last Rugby World Cup, held in France.
STATS & DATA
=> The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 set a new TV viewing benchmark as it smashed several TV audience records. The final 3 German games in later stages averaged audiences 16 mil – the highest audiences for WWC matches in Germany. Average audience of 17 mil watched Germany bow out to Japan, nearly a quarter of the German population. Comparatively, an average of 15.5 mil watched Klitschko v. Haye boxing match and 14.8 mil watched Germany v. Serbia in the 2010 FIFA WC. Japan achieved record audiences at home for the final despite the match airing in the early hours of Monday morning. 10.4 mil Japanese watched as their women beat the USA, with peak audience of 15 mil during the penalty shoot-out. This is over 3 times higher than Japan’s semi-final last week and it is 50% higher than the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.
EVENTS
=> The inaugural World Series Hockey, formed by Nimbus Sport and the Indian Hockey Federation, will play from 15 Dec to 22 Jan in 8 cities. Nimbus Sport signed up 176 players (136 Indian and 40 foreigners) who will all be assigned to eight franchises based on the Draft system with eight teams having 21 players each. Some big names include Lucas Villa and Pedro Ibarra (Arg), Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi (Pak), Rodrigo Garza (Spa), Brent Livermore (Aus), Jiwa Mohan (Mas) and Sung Min Lee (Kor). Indian stars include Rajpal Singh, Sandeep Singh and Adrian D’Souza.
BIZ & BITES
=> AFC president, Mohamed Bin Hammam, expects to be found guilty of bribery allegations but continues to maintain his innocence. Bin Hammam is due to appear at a hearing of the FIFA ethics committee in Zurich. CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester are also facing charges at the hearing. Verdicts are expected tomorrow but Bin Hammam is not optimistic of being cleared, writing in an online blog: “It seems likely that FIFA has already made its decision weeks ago. So, none of us should be completely surprised if a guilty verdict is returned.”
=> Malaysia’s Star Publications has invested RM35 mil ($11.7 mil) for 51% share in the Asian channel operator LI TV Holdings. LI TV Holdings' owner, Juita Viden, will hold 49% equity in .LI TV Holdings which operates Life Inspired (Li), an Asian HD pan-regional lifestyle channel. The service, which features first-run and exclusive programs focused on food, home, wellness, travel and style, launched in August 2009 and expanded onto ten other platforms over two years. Its reach includes Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan. By next month, the channel will launch on three additional platforms in North Asia.
=> Bloomberg TV has expanded its reach over 20% this year and is now the most widely distributed full-time, pan-regional business and financial news channel in the region’s key financial hubs of Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Korea. BTV achieved this distribution lead by strategic territories in Asia-Pac, the result of a concentrated distribution drive. In Singapore, BTV is available to all StarHub and mioTV homes, totaling over 840,000 subs. In Australia, BTV is seen in in 2.2 mil homes while in Hong Kong, it stands at over 1.6 mil and 3.2 mil households in Korea. BTV is now in more than 12 mil home across the region.
=> Neo Sports acquired broadcast rights to the Rugby World Cup 2011, from 9 Sep to 23 Oct in New Zealand. Neo will broadcast all 48 matches live to 100 mil homes. Japan is to host the Rugby WC in 2019, a first for Asia. Along with the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympic Games, increasing the popularity of the sport right across Asia is key to the International Rugby Board’s development plan over the next 10 years. Neo also televised the last Rugby World Cup, held in France.
STATS & DATA
=> The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 set a new TV viewing benchmark as it smashed several TV audience records. The final 3 German games in later stages averaged audiences 16 mil – the highest audiences for WWC matches in Germany. Average audience of 17 mil watched Germany bow out to Japan, nearly a quarter of the German population. Comparatively, an average of 15.5 mil watched Klitschko v. Haye boxing match and 14.8 mil watched Germany v. Serbia in the 2010 FIFA WC. Japan achieved record audiences at home for the final despite the match airing in the early hours of Monday morning. 10.4 mil Japanese watched as their women beat the USA, with peak audience of 15 mil during the penalty shoot-out. This is over 3 times higher than Japan’s semi-final last week and it is 50% higher than the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.
EVENTS
=> The inaugural World Series Hockey, formed by Nimbus Sport and the Indian Hockey Federation, will play from 15 Dec to 22 Jan in 8 cities. Nimbus Sport signed up 176 players (136 Indian and 40 foreigners) who will all be assigned to eight franchises based on the Draft system with eight teams having 21 players each. Some big names include Lucas Villa and Pedro Ibarra (Arg), Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi (Pak), Rodrigo Garza (Spa), Brent Livermore (Aus), Jiwa Mohan (Mas) and Sung Min Lee (Kor). Indian stars include Rajpal Singh, Sandeep Singh and Adrian D’Souza.
BIZ & BITES
=> AFC president, Mohamed Bin Hammam, expects to be found guilty of bribery allegations but continues to maintain his innocence. Bin Hammam is due to appear at a hearing of the FIFA ethics committee in Zurich. CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester are also facing charges at the hearing. Verdicts are expected tomorrow but Bin Hammam is not optimistic of being cleared, writing in an online blog: “It seems likely that FIFA has already made its decision weeks ago. So, none of us should be completely surprised if a guilty verdict is returned.”
Friday, 22nd July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Croatian IPTV, MAXtv, acquired rights to show over 100 live games from the domestic soccer league this season, in a deal that also includes title sponsorship of the competition, renamed the ‘MAXtv Prva Liga’. MAXtv previously showed 30 games /season but has now increased its output by signing an exclusive deal with Digitel, the agency appointed to sell the rights. Pubcaster HRT had broadcast live games for the last 21 years but was unable to agree terms for 2011/12. HRT unsuccessfully offered a 10% improved bid of around HRK7 mil ($1.33 mil) with Digitel, which was holding out for over three times that amount for the rights to broadcast all matches. MAXtv will also carry its first live game in high-definition on Sep 10.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Two new HD channels launched in India by ESPN Star Sports will coincide with the opening Test match of Indian cricket’s tour of England. The Test at Lords is the 2,000th Test match in history of the game, the 100th between the two sides and “the start of a skirmish that has the world number one ranking at stake”. Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will come to the match on a stunning 99 international hundreds. These factors expected drivers for large audiences on Star Cricket HD. Following the Test in England, the Champions League T20 tournament and India’s tour of Australia, will follow on Star Cricket HD.
=> Revenues for TV broadcasters in India are estimated to have risen by 13.2% year-on-year in the 2010/11 financial year, with the popularity of entertainment channels sustaining this pattern. In a report by India Credit Rating Agency, advertising revenue is still the key driver of broadcaster revenue contributing 80% of income, says the ICRA in its July 2011 TV industry study. DTH subs witnessed a growth of 62% in 2010/11 with companies seeing a median revenue growth of 22.8% in the Q4 2010/11, compared with the same in 2009/10, says ICRA. India’s TV broadcasting industry’s performance was boosted by the ICC Cricket World Cup in Q4 2010/11 financial year, and a healthy growth in income from general entertainment channels.
=> Canadian pay-TV, TSN, has won rights for the next two Rugby World Cups, starting with the 2011 tournament. TSN, who has not aired the tournament since 1995, will show all matches from the 2011 and 2015 World Cups on TSN and TSN2 channels. There will also be comprehensive coverage of the two events held in New Zealand and England respectively, on TSN.ca website and TSN Mobile TV. Overseas TV rights deals for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and some for 2015, have been signed with Nine Network and Fox Sports (Aus), ITV (UK), S4C (Wales), RTE (Ire), France Télévisions and Canal Plus (Fra), Sky Italia (Ita), NBC and Universal Sports (USA), ESPN Latin America (S.America), Neo Sports (India) and now TV (HK). Live rights to the Rugby World Cup and archives are marketed by IMG Media.
STATS & DATA
=> AFC Champions League audiences for the group and round of 16 stage matches are up 15% to 155 mil across Asia-Pac. 104 matches have been played this season and Japan emerged top of the ratings 69.85 mil viewers, 45.2% of total audience. The matches were broadcast by TV Asahi. Japan also topped ratings for this year’s AFC Asian Cup 2011 at 43.2% of total audience. China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE and Korea follow as the next 5 highest rated markets. Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea viewership jumped 13%, from 124.4 mil previously to 140.2 mil.
=> [con't] AFC Champions League at a glance: China had nearly 62 mil viewers, up 63% on previous year, watched 1st and 2nd round games on CCTV5 and provincial stations. CCTV5 recorded 44.3 mil viewers, up 146% from 18 mil last year. Average viewers /match grew from 324,889 to 426,138. Indonesia had largest audience growth increasing 203% from 2010. Nearly 7 mil Indonesians followed Arema Indonesia’s group stage campaign on RCTI, sending the average ratings /match soaring to 1.16 mil from 384,000 last year. Ratings in Korea grew 79% from 2010 while the average number of viewers per telecast on SBS Korea and MBC Sports combined grew 17% from 39,612 to 46,423.
EVENTS
=> India’s TransStadia has bought the World Series Boxing India franchise in a two way race for a period of 10 years. The company had in 2009 unveiled plans to build a multipurpose stadium in Gujarat at an investment of Rs3 bil and in in an interview last year, CEO Udit Seth had said that the sports industry in India worth Rs1 tri. The Videocon Group was earlier awarded the Delhi franchise when the WSB was launched but had pulled out of the WSB at the last minute without citing any reason. AIBA then went ahead to sign Korean city of Incheon as replacement for Delhi Tigers, as the franchise was then called.
=> Croatian IPTV, MAXtv, acquired rights to show over 100 live games from the domestic soccer league this season, in a deal that also includes title sponsorship of the competition, renamed the ‘MAXtv Prva Liga’. MAXtv previously showed 30 games /season but has now increased its output by signing an exclusive deal with Digitel, the agency appointed to sell the rights. Pubcaster HRT had broadcast live games for the last 21 years but was unable to agree terms for 2011/12. HRT unsuccessfully offered a 10% improved bid of around HRK7 mil ($1.33 mil) with Digitel, which was holding out for over three times that amount for the rights to broadcast all matches. MAXtv will also carry its first live game in high-definition on Sep 10.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Two new HD channels launched in India by ESPN Star Sports will coincide with the opening Test match of Indian cricket’s tour of England. The Test at Lords is the 2,000th Test match in history of the game, the 100th between the two sides and “the start of a skirmish that has the world number one ranking at stake”. Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will come to the match on a stunning 99 international hundreds. These factors expected drivers for large audiences on Star Cricket HD. Following the Test in England, the Champions League T20 tournament and India’s tour of Australia, will follow on Star Cricket HD.
=> Revenues for TV broadcasters in India are estimated to have risen by 13.2% year-on-year in the 2010/11 financial year, with the popularity of entertainment channels sustaining this pattern. In a report by India Credit Rating Agency, advertising revenue is still the key driver of broadcaster revenue contributing 80% of income, says the ICRA in its July 2011 TV industry study. DTH subs witnessed a growth of 62% in 2010/11 with companies seeing a median revenue growth of 22.8% in the Q4 2010/11, compared with the same in 2009/10, says ICRA. India’s TV broadcasting industry’s performance was boosted by the ICC Cricket World Cup in Q4 2010/11 financial year, and a healthy growth in income from general entertainment channels.
=> Canadian pay-TV, TSN, has won rights for the next two Rugby World Cups, starting with the 2011 tournament. TSN, who has not aired the tournament since 1995, will show all matches from the 2011 and 2015 World Cups on TSN and TSN2 channels. There will also be comprehensive coverage of the two events held in New Zealand and England respectively, on TSN.ca website and TSN Mobile TV. Overseas TV rights deals for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and some for 2015, have been signed with Nine Network and Fox Sports (Aus), ITV (UK), S4C (Wales), RTE (Ire), France Télévisions and Canal Plus (Fra), Sky Italia (Ita), NBC and Universal Sports (USA), ESPN Latin America (S.America), Neo Sports (India) and now TV (HK). Live rights to the Rugby World Cup and archives are marketed by IMG Media.
STATS & DATA
=> AFC Champions League audiences for the group and round of 16 stage matches are up 15% to 155 mil across Asia-Pac. 104 matches have been played this season and Japan emerged top of the ratings 69.85 mil viewers, 45.2% of total audience. The matches were broadcast by TV Asahi. Japan also topped ratings for this year’s AFC Asian Cup 2011 at 43.2% of total audience. China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE and Korea follow as the next 5 highest rated markets. Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea viewership jumped 13%, from 124.4 mil previously to 140.2 mil.
=> [con't] AFC Champions League at a glance: China had nearly 62 mil viewers, up 63% on previous year, watched 1st and 2nd round games on CCTV5 and provincial stations. CCTV5 recorded 44.3 mil viewers, up 146% from 18 mil last year. Average viewers /match grew from 324,889 to 426,138. Indonesia had largest audience growth increasing 203% from 2010. Nearly 7 mil Indonesians followed Arema Indonesia’s group stage campaign on RCTI, sending the average ratings /match soaring to 1.16 mil from 384,000 last year. Ratings in Korea grew 79% from 2010 while the average number of viewers per telecast on SBS Korea and MBC Sports combined grew 17% from 39,612 to 46,423.
EVENTS
=> India’s TransStadia has bought the World Series Boxing India franchise in a two way race for a period of 10 years. The company had in 2009 unveiled plans to build a multipurpose stadium in Gujarat at an investment of Rs3 bil and in in an interview last year, CEO Udit Seth had said that the sports industry in India worth Rs1 tri. The Videocon Group was earlier awarded the Delhi franchise when the WSB was launched but had pulled out of the WSB at the last minute without citing any reason. AIBA then went ahead to sign Korean city of Incheon as replacement for Delhi Tigers, as the franchise was then called.
Thursday, 21st July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Australia’s National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership are set to discuss their next broadcasting contract, aiming to match the record A$650 mil ($698 mil) deal over five years that the Australian Football League recently agreed with Foxtel. Pay-TV Foxtel’s present deal with NRL is worth A$42 mil /year for five live games a week, and clubs could continue with a mix of pay-TV and free-to-air coverage in the new contract or abandon pay-TV, in a bid to increase overall value of the deal. Rights are presently shared by Nine (paying about A$40 mil /season) and Fox Sports in deals that expire at the end of next season.
=> German pubcaster, WDR, finally agreed to back an amended boxing rights deal signed between ARD and German promoter, Sauerland Event. Early 2010, ARD signed a deal with Sauerland for 2013 to 2015 worth around €54 mil ($76.5 mil) but sparked controversy led by WDR, among regional pubcasters, that form part of the ARD network. WDR now backs a reduced 2-yr contract (2013 to 2014) between ARD and Sauerland, with the number of fights and the rights fee reduced, plus a one-sided contract extension option relinquished. WDR described the new deal as "an acceptable compromise." The influential WDR council had questioned the value of showing boxing and were said to be annoyed that they were only aware of the contract with Sauerland a year after it was signed.
=> The French Trophée des Champions will be broadcast in 77 countries, an increase of 25 countries from the year. The match between Lille and Marseille takes place in the Tangier, Morocco and LFP is claiming record international distribution. The LFP says the 77 include USA, Canada, Brazil, Malaysia, Russia and Slovakia. The game will be broadcast across N. Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East. Coverage of Ligue 1 also increased for 2010/11, with Canal Plus Events signing a range of deals, including agreements in Indonesia (O Channel), Japan (J-Sports), Hong Kong (Now TV) and Burma (Skynet). Ligue 1 is now broadcast by 80 broadcasters in 180 countries across the world with commentary in 54 different languages. Canal Plus Events had raised €24 mil ($34 mil) in rights revenue for Ligue 1 for 2010/11.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> The Women’s Tennis Association is set to launch a tender for international media rights for its 22 top-tier Premier tournaments as well as the season-ending TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships for four years beginning in 2013. The process will be managed by Evolution Media Capital, a part of sports agency CAA Sports. EMC will act as ‘independent advisor’ to the WTA through the process, the same way it advised ice hockey's NHL in its recent tender, resulting in the league bypassing ESPN International, its long-standing partner for international media rights, and awarding the contract to Advisers Media International and Medge Consulting.
STATS & DATA
=> Research by Mobile Interactive Group revealed opportunities in social media and participation TV services. In a white paper on trends and opportunities in participation TV (P-TV), MIG believes it uncovered key technological and behavioral insights to the P-TV value chain. Mobile will become the main vehicle for interaction between viewer and broadcaster, with 40% of mobile users most likely to be multi-tasking using their phone while watching TV. Smartphone adoption will drive TV and mobile multi-tasking in UK and US, creating a more engaged audience, and significantly increasing programme interaction. Facebook will drive a shift in interactive audience behavior away from calls and text with these channels becoming peripheral in the long term. Interactive events via Facebook are expected to generate $51.7 mil (£32.04 mil) in the UK by 2012 and $2.9 bil globally by 2016.
BIZ & BITES
=> Rupert Murdoch’s position at News Corporation could be at risk with rumours that Chase Carey, News Corp’s chief operating officer, being lined up to replace the octogenarian, following the phone-hacking scandal that hit its News International subsidiary. However, members of the News Corp board have denied discussing the succession. In front of a select committee of the UK parliament, Murdoch said that he is not resigning, with his family owning 39.8% of voting shares in the media empire. News Corp controls or has a stake in pay-TV sports broadcasters around the world, including Fox Sports in various countries, ESPN Star Sports in Asia, British Sky Broadcasting in the UK, Sky Deutschland in Germany and Sky Italia in Italy.
=> Australia’s National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership are set to discuss their next broadcasting contract, aiming to match the record A$650 mil ($698 mil) deal over five years that the Australian Football League recently agreed with Foxtel. Pay-TV Foxtel’s present deal with NRL is worth A$42 mil /year for five live games a week, and clubs could continue with a mix of pay-TV and free-to-air coverage in the new contract or abandon pay-TV, in a bid to increase overall value of the deal. Rights are presently shared by Nine (paying about A$40 mil /season) and Fox Sports in deals that expire at the end of next season.
=> German pubcaster, WDR, finally agreed to back an amended boxing rights deal signed between ARD and German promoter, Sauerland Event. Early 2010, ARD signed a deal with Sauerland for 2013 to 2015 worth around €54 mil ($76.5 mil) but sparked controversy led by WDR, among regional pubcasters, that form part of the ARD network. WDR now backs a reduced 2-yr contract (2013 to 2014) between ARD and Sauerland, with the number of fights and the rights fee reduced, plus a one-sided contract extension option relinquished. WDR described the new deal as "an acceptable compromise." The influential WDR council had questioned the value of showing boxing and were said to be annoyed that they were only aware of the contract with Sauerland a year after it was signed.
=> The French Trophée des Champions will be broadcast in 77 countries, an increase of 25 countries from the year. The match between Lille and Marseille takes place in the Tangier, Morocco and LFP is claiming record international distribution. The LFP says the 77 include USA, Canada, Brazil, Malaysia, Russia and Slovakia. The game will be broadcast across N. Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East. Coverage of Ligue 1 also increased for 2010/11, with Canal Plus Events signing a range of deals, including agreements in Indonesia (O Channel), Japan (J-Sports), Hong Kong (Now TV) and Burma (Skynet). Ligue 1 is now broadcast by 80 broadcasters in 180 countries across the world with commentary in 54 different languages. Canal Plus Events had raised €24 mil ($34 mil) in rights revenue for Ligue 1 for 2010/11.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> The Women’s Tennis Association is set to launch a tender for international media rights for its 22 top-tier Premier tournaments as well as the season-ending TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships for four years beginning in 2013. The process will be managed by Evolution Media Capital, a part of sports agency CAA Sports. EMC will act as ‘independent advisor’ to the WTA through the process, the same way it advised ice hockey's NHL in its recent tender, resulting in the league bypassing ESPN International, its long-standing partner for international media rights, and awarding the contract to Advisers Media International and Medge Consulting.
STATS & DATA
=> Research by Mobile Interactive Group revealed opportunities in social media and participation TV services. In a white paper on trends and opportunities in participation TV (P-TV), MIG believes it uncovered key technological and behavioral insights to the P-TV value chain. Mobile will become the main vehicle for interaction between viewer and broadcaster, with 40% of mobile users most likely to be multi-tasking using their phone while watching TV. Smartphone adoption will drive TV and mobile multi-tasking in UK and US, creating a more engaged audience, and significantly increasing programme interaction. Facebook will drive a shift in interactive audience behavior away from calls and text with these channels becoming peripheral in the long term. Interactive events via Facebook are expected to generate $51.7 mil (£32.04 mil) in the UK by 2012 and $2.9 bil globally by 2016.
BIZ & BITES
=> Rupert Murdoch’s position at News Corporation could be at risk with rumours that Chase Carey, News Corp’s chief operating officer, being lined up to replace the octogenarian, following the phone-hacking scandal that hit its News International subsidiary. However, members of the News Corp board have denied discussing the succession. In front of a select committee of the UK parliament, Murdoch said that he is not resigning, with his family owning 39.8% of voting shares in the media empire. News Corp controls or has a stake in pay-TV sports broadcasters around the world, including Fox Sports in various countries, ESPN Star Sports in Asia, British Sky Broadcasting in the UK, Sky Deutschland in Germany and Sky Italia in Italy.
Wednesday, 20th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Swiss football’s Superleague accepted a joint bid from Cinetrade and Swisscom for domestic broadcast of a complete package of matches. The 5-yr deal, reportedly worth €26 mil (US$36.5 mil) /season, will begin in 2012. The deal has been met with anger in some quarters as all but one game /week will be shown on pay TV. A rival bid from Swisscable and SSR would have allowed 36 matches a season to be shown on free-to-air television. The ten-team league is currently rated 16th in Europe by UEFA.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> MediaCorp’s Channel 5 has secured the broadcasting rights in Singapore for the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Singapore and Malaysia. Both games will be shown live as the two compete for a slot in the competition to be held in Brazil. The first of two legs will be played in Singapore on 23rd Jul and the return match on 28th Jul in Kuala Lumpur. The 2nd round match is Singapore’s first game in the competition after receiving a bye through the opening round. Malaysia overcame Taiwan on away goals to set up the match.
=> Hong Kong’s IPTV, Now TV, has renewed acquired exclusive broadcast rights to UEFA 2012 European Championships, which will take place in Poland and Ukraine. Now TV will broadcast all 31 games from Euro 2012 in HD and show various pre-tournament programming, highlights programmes and tournament reviews. The broadcaster was the rights-holder for the last European Championships in Austria and Switzerland in 2008. Subscribers to Now TV’s ‘Premium Mega Sports Pack’ can access Euro 2012 matches at no extra cost. The 16-team Euro 2012 tournament will be staged from June 8 to July 1.
=> ESPN Star Sports has launched 24-hr HD channels ESPN HD and STAR Cricket HD. Both channels are available on Videocon d2h and STAR Cricket HD securing further carriage on Tata Sky platforms. STAR Cricket HD is set to showcase live coverage of India's cricket tour of England starting July 21 with the Champions LeagueT20 and India's tour of Australia set to follow. ESPN HD offers F1 coverage from the Hungarian GP and the U.S. Senior Open Golf and Major League Baseball throughout July. Next month, the service will start its coverage of the 2011-12 season of the Barclays Premier League. The two new channels join ESPN STAR Sports' existing services in India, ESPN, STAR Cricket and STAR Sports.
=> Real Madrid is looking for potentially lucrative expansion of its branded content in China, a huge market for the biggest football teams. RM signed an agreement with WISeKey for exclusive distribution of the club’s mobile content in China this coming season. The deal is part of the new media strategy WISeKey is deploying with famous brands, allowing them to monetise brand value by associating its users in selected countries with restricted mobile content rights. WISeKey and its partners will distribute and market RM’s mobile content, covering China and the extended network of Chinese Real Madrid fans. The club estimates over 100 mil fans in China alone. Real Madrid distributes digital content in over 40 countries worldwide and recently agreed a deal with Spanish, Prisa, to distribute mobile content in 25 countries in North and South America.
=> Thailand's TrueVisions will roll out its HDTV service in Phuket. In 2007, TrueVisions first tested HD TV with the Barclay's Premier League HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic Channel HD, History Channel HD, and some HD programmes on True Series. In Nov last year, the company finally started broadcasting three HD channels - Reality HD, HBO HD and TrueSport HD - but these were only available to cable TV subscribers. TrueVisions now has added 11 more channels to the service, including TrueSport HD2. Although HD channels are only available to cable subscribers, TrueVisions said satellite subscribers will soon be able to receive the service starting in 2012.
=> MP & Silva has added a magazine show to the programming line-up from Italian soccer’s Serie A that is offered to international broadcasters. MP&S distributes the international broadcast rights to the league, had announced ‘Rivals,’ a third weekly magazine show available for the forthcoming 2011/12 season. The new magazine show will combine match footage, highlights and interviews in a programme that MP & Silva says will "dig deep into the historical and classic Serie A rivalries that extend beyond the clubs’ shared history and supporters to the players." MP&S already offers ‘Total Italian Football’ preview and ‘Serie A Show’ highlights programmes to international broadcasters. Rivals and The Serie A Show will be aired on Mondays, while Total Italian Football will be broadcast on Thursdays.
STATS & DATA
=> Mobile video consumption is forecast to exceed 693 bil minutes by 2015, according to In-Stat. Nearly two-thirds of smartphone owners use their device to watch video. That number climbs to 86% for tablet users although there are significantly more smartphone viewers than tablet viewers currently, but says that gap is narrowing. However, tablet viewers watch more video on their device and are willing to pay a higher price for content compared to smartphone users.
=> Swiss football’s Superleague accepted a joint bid from Cinetrade and Swisscom for domestic broadcast of a complete package of matches. The 5-yr deal, reportedly worth €26 mil (US$36.5 mil) /season, will begin in 2012. The deal has been met with anger in some quarters as all but one game /week will be shown on pay TV. A rival bid from Swisscable and SSR would have allowed 36 matches a season to be shown on free-to-air television. The ten-team league is currently rated 16th in Europe by UEFA.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> MediaCorp’s Channel 5 has secured the broadcasting rights in Singapore for the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Singapore and Malaysia. Both games will be shown live as the two compete for a slot in the competition to be held in Brazil. The first of two legs will be played in Singapore on 23rd Jul and the return match on 28th Jul in Kuala Lumpur. The 2nd round match is Singapore’s first game in the competition after receiving a bye through the opening round. Malaysia overcame Taiwan on away goals to set up the match.
=> Hong Kong’s IPTV, Now TV, has renewed acquired exclusive broadcast rights to UEFA 2012 European Championships, which will take place in Poland and Ukraine. Now TV will broadcast all 31 games from Euro 2012 in HD and show various pre-tournament programming, highlights programmes and tournament reviews. The broadcaster was the rights-holder for the last European Championships in Austria and Switzerland in 2008. Subscribers to Now TV’s ‘Premium Mega Sports Pack’ can access Euro 2012 matches at no extra cost. The 16-team Euro 2012 tournament will be staged from June 8 to July 1.
=> ESPN Star Sports has launched 24-hr HD channels ESPN HD and STAR Cricket HD. Both channels are available on Videocon d2h and STAR Cricket HD securing further carriage on Tata Sky platforms. STAR Cricket HD is set to showcase live coverage of India's cricket tour of England starting July 21 with the Champions LeagueT20 and India's tour of Australia set to follow. ESPN HD offers F1 coverage from the Hungarian GP and the U.S. Senior Open Golf and Major League Baseball throughout July. Next month, the service will start its coverage of the 2011-12 season of the Barclays Premier League. The two new channels join ESPN STAR Sports' existing services in India, ESPN, STAR Cricket and STAR Sports.
=> Real Madrid is looking for potentially lucrative expansion of its branded content in China, a huge market for the biggest football teams. RM signed an agreement with WISeKey for exclusive distribution of the club’s mobile content in China this coming season. The deal is part of the new media strategy WISeKey is deploying with famous brands, allowing them to monetise brand value by associating its users in selected countries with restricted mobile content rights. WISeKey and its partners will distribute and market RM’s mobile content, covering China and the extended network of Chinese Real Madrid fans. The club estimates over 100 mil fans in China alone. Real Madrid distributes digital content in over 40 countries worldwide and recently agreed a deal with Spanish, Prisa, to distribute mobile content in 25 countries in North and South America.
=> Thailand's TrueVisions will roll out its HDTV service in Phuket. In 2007, TrueVisions first tested HD TV with the Barclay's Premier League HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic Channel HD, History Channel HD, and some HD programmes on True Series. In Nov last year, the company finally started broadcasting three HD channels - Reality HD, HBO HD and TrueSport HD - but these were only available to cable TV subscribers. TrueVisions now has added 11 more channels to the service, including TrueSport HD2. Although HD channels are only available to cable subscribers, TrueVisions said satellite subscribers will soon be able to receive the service starting in 2012.
=> MP & Silva has added a magazine show to the programming line-up from Italian soccer’s Serie A that is offered to international broadcasters. MP&S distributes the international broadcast rights to the league, had announced ‘Rivals,’ a third weekly magazine show available for the forthcoming 2011/12 season. The new magazine show will combine match footage, highlights and interviews in a programme that MP & Silva says will "dig deep into the historical and classic Serie A rivalries that extend beyond the clubs’ shared history and supporters to the players." MP&S already offers ‘Total Italian Football’ preview and ‘Serie A Show’ highlights programmes to international broadcasters. Rivals and The Serie A Show will be aired on Mondays, while Total Italian Football will be broadcast on Thursdays.
STATS & DATA
=> Mobile video consumption is forecast to exceed 693 bil minutes by 2015, according to In-Stat. Nearly two-thirds of smartphone owners use their device to watch video. That number climbs to 86% for tablet users although there are significantly more smartphone viewers than tablet viewers currently, but says that gap is narrowing. However, tablet viewers watch more video on their device and are willing to pay a higher price for content compared to smartphone users.
Tuesday, 19th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Tour de France teams are pressuring the Amaury family, owners of the 108-year-old cycling race, to share TV-rights income for the first time. Most competitors support lobbying for some of the TV income from the Amaury Sport Organisation, although French squads are wary of confrontation because they risk having their invitation to ride withdrawn. ASO gets as much as $200 mil from TV rights. ASO has controlled the TdF since the 1940sand also runs the Dakar rally and the Paris marathon. Tdf is broadcast in over 180 countries and gets 60% of its income from TV rights, The Tour differs from other competitions because organizers don’t give teams a share of TV money.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Neo Sports has acquired rights to all matches from the forthcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup. Neo Sports will show all 48 games from the tournament in New Zealand. The 2011 World Cup begins at Eden Park in Auckland on Sep 9, when the hosts play Tonga, and concludes with the final at the same venue on Oct 23.
=> The Outdoor Channel Asia has secured a partnership with the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship (ISC) and the Asian Surfing Championship (ASC) to air the competitive events throughout Asia-Pacific. As a result of the deal, the Outdoor Channel is the exclusive pan-regional broadcaster of both championships in Asia. The channel will air all 16 ISC events and the seven ASC events held in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan during 2011/12.
NEW MEDIA
=> The June 2011 monthly Global Video Insights Report from Vuclip revealed a surge that makes iPhone the most popular mobile video device. Nokia and BlackBerry devices have traditionally been the most popular in terms of mobile video views, but Apple’s flagship device has taken top spot for the first time, measured by aggregate total video views by device. iPhone has become the leading smartphone for mobile video in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, two of Vuclip's top 10 countries for mobile consumption. It is the top device in Singapore where iPod Touch and iPad were on the top 10 devices for video consumption. The iPhone is now also the top device in China due to consumption of local film and TV content.
STATS & DATA
=> Asia-Pacific advertising spend is expected to grow 5.9% this year, helping to push global adex levels back to pre-crisis 2008, say ZenithOptimedia. Between 2010 and 2013, advertising in Asia-Pac is forecast to grow 7% a year – or 10.7% excluding Japan. Global adex is forecast to reach US$471 bil this year. Forecasts for the region are up from 10.5% to 11.4%, driven by China (11.7% growth to 13.4%) and Malaysia (from 10% to 12.3%). The worst-hit regions are the Middle East and North Africa. Internet is the fastest-growing medium (14.2% a year) between 2010 and 2013, while TV will contribute the most new ad dollars at 49%. TV is the second fastest growing medium at 6.2% a year with adex forecast to grow by US$35.4 bil, to US$215.0 bil between 2010 and 2013. TV attracted 40.1% of spend in 2010, up from 37.3% in 2005, and “is forecast to attract 41.4% in 2013.
=> Over a quarter of TV households worldwide, or 387 mil homes, are expected to have subscriptions to triple-play services by 2016, says Digital TV Research in the Triple-Play Forecasts report. Penetration will reach 25% by 2016, up from 7.1% reported at end 2010. Asia-Pacific subs will represent 58% by 2016, up from 35% at end-2010. China alone will make 147 mil additional subs, supplying 44% of global subs while India will see 18 mil subs. The 2016 3P penetration forecast represents 387 mil homes, up from 96 mil at end-2010. Triple-play revenues will reach $170 bil by 2016, representing $100 bil more than 2010. The U.S. will account for $39 bil of the additional revenues, with Japan up by $9 bil and China increasing by $8 bil.
EVENTS
=> ASEAN says they will lodge a collective bid to host soccer's 2030 World Cup, and have already met to discuss ways to implement a unified visa to ease travel within the region. ASEAN foreign ministers are due to meet in Indonesia tomorrow to discuss pooling of resources. ASEAN was formed in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and over the years have expanded to include Laos, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Of the 10, only Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia have yet to implement a visa-free policy. There would be challenges to a collective bid for the 2030 World Cup and ASEAN are up against competition from Uruguay and Argentina, who are preparing a joint bid to mark the centenerary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay, and possibly China.
=> The IAAF and Dentsu have teamed up to launch the Federation’s first-ever centralised licensing programme, which gives fans opportunity to buy official goods online. Adidas and the UK’s Great Branding Co have worked together on the product design, production and distribution. The licensing programme will be developed within the framework of the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea next month. Daegu 2011 official licensed products will be available on www.merchstore.net/IAAF_2011 and will also be sold on site in Daegu. The IAAF said the licensing programme will be rolled out for other IAAF World Athletics Series events after Daegu 2011.
=> Tour de France teams are pressuring the Amaury family, owners of the 108-year-old cycling race, to share TV-rights income for the first time. Most competitors support lobbying for some of the TV income from the Amaury Sport Organisation, although French squads are wary of confrontation because they risk having their invitation to ride withdrawn. ASO gets as much as $200 mil from TV rights. ASO has controlled the TdF since the 1940sand also runs the Dakar rally and the Paris marathon. Tdf is broadcast in over 180 countries and gets 60% of its income from TV rights, The Tour differs from other competitions because organizers don’t give teams a share of TV money.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Neo Sports has acquired rights to all matches from the forthcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup. Neo Sports will show all 48 games from the tournament in New Zealand. The 2011 World Cup begins at Eden Park in Auckland on Sep 9, when the hosts play Tonga, and concludes with the final at the same venue on Oct 23.
=> The Outdoor Channel Asia has secured a partnership with the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship (ISC) and the Asian Surfing Championship (ASC) to air the competitive events throughout Asia-Pacific. As a result of the deal, the Outdoor Channel is the exclusive pan-regional broadcaster of both championships in Asia. The channel will air all 16 ISC events and the seven ASC events held in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan during 2011/12.
NEW MEDIA
=> The June 2011 monthly Global Video Insights Report from Vuclip revealed a surge that makes iPhone the most popular mobile video device. Nokia and BlackBerry devices have traditionally been the most popular in terms of mobile video views, but Apple’s flagship device has taken top spot for the first time, measured by aggregate total video views by device. iPhone has become the leading smartphone for mobile video in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, two of Vuclip's top 10 countries for mobile consumption. It is the top device in Singapore where iPod Touch and iPad were on the top 10 devices for video consumption. The iPhone is now also the top device in China due to consumption of local film and TV content.
STATS & DATA
=> Asia-Pacific advertising spend is expected to grow 5.9% this year, helping to push global adex levels back to pre-crisis 2008, say ZenithOptimedia. Between 2010 and 2013, advertising in Asia-Pac is forecast to grow 7% a year – or 10.7% excluding Japan. Global adex is forecast to reach US$471 bil this year. Forecasts for the region are up from 10.5% to 11.4%, driven by China (11.7% growth to 13.4%) and Malaysia (from 10% to 12.3%). The worst-hit regions are the Middle East and North Africa. Internet is the fastest-growing medium (14.2% a year) between 2010 and 2013, while TV will contribute the most new ad dollars at 49%. TV is the second fastest growing medium at 6.2% a year with adex forecast to grow by US$35.4 bil, to US$215.0 bil between 2010 and 2013. TV attracted 40.1% of spend in 2010, up from 37.3% in 2005, and “is forecast to attract 41.4% in 2013.
=> Over a quarter of TV households worldwide, or 387 mil homes, are expected to have subscriptions to triple-play services by 2016, says Digital TV Research in the Triple-Play Forecasts report. Penetration will reach 25% by 2016, up from 7.1% reported at end 2010. Asia-Pacific subs will represent 58% by 2016, up from 35% at end-2010. China alone will make 147 mil additional subs, supplying 44% of global subs while India will see 18 mil subs. The 2016 3P penetration forecast represents 387 mil homes, up from 96 mil at end-2010. Triple-play revenues will reach $170 bil by 2016, representing $100 bil more than 2010. The U.S. will account for $39 bil of the additional revenues, with Japan up by $9 bil and China increasing by $8 bil.
EVENTS
=> ASEAN says they will lodge a collective bid to host soccer's 2030 World Cup, and have already met to discuss ways to implement a unified visa to ease travel within the region. ASEAN foreign ministers are due to meet in Indonesia tomorrow to discuss pooling of resources. ASEAN was formed in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and over the years have expanded to include Laos, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Of the 10, only Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia have yet to implement a visa-free policy. There would be challenges to a collective bid for the 2030 World Cup and ASEAN are up against competition from Uruguay and Argentina, who are preparing a joint bid to mark the centenerary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay, and possibly China.
=> The IAAF and Dentsu have teamed up to launch the Federation’s first-ever centralised licensing programme, which gives fans opportunity to buy official goods online. Adidas and the UK’s Great Branding Co have worked together on the product design, production and distribution. The licensing programme will be developed within the framework of the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea next month. Daegu 2011 official licensed products will be available on www.merchstore.net/IAAF_2011 and will also be sold on site in Daegu. The IAAF said the licensing programme will be rolled out for other IAAF World Athletics Series events after Daegu 2011.
Monday, 18th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Bolivia TV has acquired rights to 72 South American qualifiers leading-up to the 2014 World Cup. The deal was made with The Game, the soccer rights arm of Argentina’s Full Play agency. Full Play acquires the international rights to the S. American qualifiers and sells them on to broadcasters throughout the region. The deal with Bolivia TV means that all national team’s qualifiers and friendlies are available on free-to-air television across the country for the first time in 26 years. Commercial broadcasters Unitel and ATB previously held free-to-air rights to the WC qualifiers, but both were only available on cable. The national association, FBF, is believed to be earning $50,000 per friendly match and up to $250,000 for each WC qualifier.
=> Clubs of the Danish Superliga are considering launching a league TV channel as they pressure broadcasters to submit higher bids in a second round tender for media rights from 2012/13 onwards. The Superliga rights were first up for sale earlier this year but the reserve price of over DKr1.1 bil ($208.4 mil) for the next 3-yr rights cycle was not met. Superliga clubs now express support to set up a league TV channel if broadcasters do not submit acceptable bids. The current Danish Superliga domestic broadcast deals from 2009/10 to 11/12 are worth DKr1.06 bil.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> SingTel's IPTV’ mio TV has expanded its lineup with Travel Channel, the all-rugby Setanta Sports and the Indian news network TIMES Now. Travel Channel offers up content on luxury getaways, eco-friendly holidays and backpacking adventures, with a slate that includes Trabant Trek, Planet Sports and Distant Shores. Setanta Sports is will deliver rugby action from across the globe and is the channel’s 6th distribution agreement in Asia, following on from a deal in with SingTel’s rival StarHub, in Hong Kong (with Now TV), Malaysia and Brunei (with Astro) and in Sri Lanka (with LBN and Carlton Sports Network). Setanta now reaches over 3.5 mil TV households in Asia.
=> WinTV is launching Taiwan`s first HD general TV channel in a bid to help elevate the digital cable TV industry. WinTV plans to spend NT$1.2 bil (£25.6 mil) over 5 years to finance production of locally-produced programmes for its channel. The company will spend around NT$66 mil on recreation and leisure, sports, business, news and children's programmes. The Taiwan government, in light of low digital TV penetration in Taiwan, has vowed extensive promotion of digital TV next year. Currently, digital TV subs account for only 10% of the island`s 5 mil cable TV subscribers. Taiwan`s cable TV penetration rate is among the highest in Asia but digital TV penetration is still low. Comparatively, mainland China has 87 mil subs of digital cable TV service, nearly half of the mainland`s 180 mil cable TV subscribers.
=> Meanwhile, the lack of converged media such as IPTV in China and lack of single regulatory body are preventing telecom and media diversity. According to analyst, Ovum, insufficient liberalisation and market privatisation has led to lack of competition between broadcasters and telcos; key players in telecom and media markets (including cable companies and 3 biggest telcos) are state-owned entities. China earlier announced plans to digitalise all of its cable TV networks above the county level by 2015 to spur the convergence of cable TV, telecommunications and the Internet. Meanwhile, the SARFT was to have submitted a proposal to the government to set up a national cable television network company.
EVENTS
=> The Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) has signed its biggest sponsorship deal with menswear apparel manufacturer Crocodile Int. Ltd. The agreement is worth S$1 mil (US$820,000) over 10 years and will help the STTA support and develop young talent in Singapore, and will include staging of the inaugural Crocodile Challenge Cup, held from 10th-13th Nov, involving primary school students of Singaporean citizenship, and features a prize fund of S$18,000 (US$14,790).
=> Bolivia TV has acquired rights to 72 South American qualifiers leading-up to the 2014 World Cup. The deal was made with The Game, the soccer rights arm of Argentina’s Full Play agency. Full Play acquires the international rights to the S. American qualifiers and sells them on to broadcasters throughout the region. The deal with Bolivia TV means that all national team’s qualifiers and friendlies are available on free-to-air television across the country for the first time in 26 years. Commercial broadcasters Unitel and ATB previously held free-to-air rights to the WC qualifiers, but both were only available on cable. The national association, FBF, is believed to be earning $50,000 per friendly match and up to $250,000 for each WC qualifier.
=> Clubs of the Danish Superliga are considering launching a league TV channel as they pressure broadcasters to submit higher bids in a second round tender for media rights from 2012/13 onwards. The Superliga rights were first up for sale earlier this year but the reserve price of over DKr1.1 bil ($208.4 mil) for the next 3-yr rights cycle was not met. Superliga clubs now express support to set up a league TV channel if broadcasters do not submit acceptable bids. The current Danish Superliga domestic broadcast deals from 2009/10 to 11/12 are worth DKr1.06 bil.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> SingTel's IPTV’ mio TV has expanded its lineup with Travel Channel, the all-rugby Setanta Sports and the Indian news network TIMES Now. Travel Channel offers up content on luxury getaways, eco-friendly holidays and backpacking adventures, with a slate that includes Trabant Trek, Planet Sports and Distant Shores. Setanta Sports is will deliver rugby action from across the globe and is the channel’s 6th distribution agreement in Asia, following on from a deal in with SingTel’s rival StarHub, in Hong Kong (with Now TV), Malaysia and Brunei (with Astro) and in Sri Lanka (with LBN and Carlton Sports Network). Setanta now reaches over 3.5 mil TV households in Asia.
=> WinTV is launching Taiwan`s first HD general TV channel in a bid to help elevate the digital cable TV industry. WinTV plans to spend NT$1.2 bil (£25.6 mil) over 5 years to finance production of locally-produced programmes for its channel. The company will spend around NT$66 mil on recreation and leisure, sports, business, news and children's programmes. The Taiwan government, in light of low digital TV penetration in Taiwan, has vowed extensive promotion of digital TV next year. Currently, digital TV subs account for only 10% of the island`s 5 mil cable TV subscribers. Taiwan`s cable TV penetration rate is among the highest in Asia but digital TV penetration is still low. Comparatively, mainland China has 87 mil subs of digital cable TV service, nearly half of the mainland`s 180 mil cable TV subscribers.
=> Meanwhile, the lack of converged media such as IPTV in China and lack of single regulatory body are preventing telecom and media diversity. According to analyst, Ovum, insufficient liberalisation and market privatisation has led to lack of competition between broadcasters and telcos; key players in telecom and media markets (including cable companies and 3 biggest telcos) are state-owned entities. China earlier announced plans to digitalise all of its cable TV networks above the county level by 2015 to spur the convergence of cable TV, telecommunications and the Internet. Meanwhile, the SARFT was to have submitted a proposal to the government to set up a national cable television network company.
EVENTS
=> The Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) has signed its biggest sponsorship deal with menswear apparel manufacturer Crocodile Int. Ltd. The agreement is worth S$1 mil (US$820,000) over 10 years and will help the STTA support and develop young talent in Singapore, and will include staging of the inaugural Crocodile Challenge Cup, held from 10th-13th Nov, involving primary school students of Singaporean citizenship, and features a prize fund of S$18,000 (US$14,790).
Friday, 15th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> VTV, Vietnam’s state broadcaster, has acquired rights to show the second leg of a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Vietnam and Qatar, playing at Hanoi’s My Dinh stadium on July 28. VTV is reported to have paid US$5,000 to acquire rights from Audio Vision Global, the cable operator. The deal comes after VTV missed out on the rights for the first leg when it refused to pay the price being asked by MP & Silva, the Singapore-based sports agency which was marketing the rights.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Deutsche Telekom will get football fans interactively involved with Bundesliga pay-TV service "LIGA total!" in the coming season. Through IPTV platform Entertain or via mobile phone viewers can interact with each other during live match coverage and take part in other activities. Telekom could also offer sports betting or online games down the line. After HSV and Borussia Dortmund, Telekom also wants to launch TV channels for fans of other big Bundesliga football clubs. "LIGA total!" is currently has 250,000 subscribers via Entertain and mobile phone.
EVENTS
=> The men’s and women’s singles champions at the US Open Tennis Championship will this year receive a record $1.8 mil each, a 6.4% increase on last year. Total prize purse for the competition, which is scheduled for Aug 29 to Sep 11 in New York, is $23.7 million, the US Tennis Association said. The US Open will be offering equal prize money to the men’s and women’s singles champions for the 39th successive year.
BIZ & BITES
=> Manchester Utd is the most valuable sports franchise in the world, according to Forbes' annual world's top 50, valued at $1.86 bil, ahead of NFL's Dallas Cowboys ($1.81 bil) and MLB's New York Yankees ($1.7 bil). Forbes noted that the Yankees are worth 86% more than baseball’s second most valuable team, the Boston Red Sox, ranked 31st. NFL's Washington Redskins ($1.55 bil) and Real Madrid ($1.45 bil) round out the top five. Forbes said TV ratings for NFL games are at "an all-time high," with the league's TV revenue up 700% over the past 25 years. The Jacksonville Jaguars, in 45th place, are the least valuable NFL franchise at $725 mil, but are still worth more than any NBA or NHL side as well as all but five of the 30 MLB franchises. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, each ranked 47th and 48th, were the only two NBA franchises to make top 50, which featured no NHL teams. Like the NBA, Formula 1 was represented by just two teams in the top 50; Ferrari and McLaren.
=> Leo Kirch, who turned his one-man film distribution into Germany’s second-biggest media business before losing control of it after a gamble on pa-TV, has died. He was 84. No cause of death was given but Kirch had suffered from diabetes and near-blindness for several years. Kirch Holding GmbH was once valued at $5 bil. It held Germany’s biggest film-licensing library, the nation’s only pay-TV channel and rights to 2 FIFA World Cups. When Kirch resigned, his companies were under court protection from creditors, the biggest bankruptcy filing in Germany since World War II.
=> VTV, Vietnam’s state broadcaster, has acquired rights to show the second leg of a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Vietnam and Qatar, playing at Hanoi’s My Dinh stadium on July 28. VTV is reported to have paid US$5,000 to acquire rights from Audio Vision Global, the cable operator. The deal comes after VTV missed out on the rights for the first leg when it refused to pay the price being asked by MP & Silva, the Singapore-based sports agency which was marketing the rights.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Deutsche Telekom will get football fans interactively involved with Bundesliga pay-TV service "LIGA total!" in the coming season. Through IPTV platform Entertain or via mobile phone viewers can interact with each other during live match coverage and take part in other activities. Telekom could also offer sports betting or online games down the line. After HSV and Borussia Dortmund, Telekom also wants to launch TV channels for fans of other big Bundesliga football clubs. "LIGA total!" is currently has 250,000 subscribers via Entertain and mobile phone.
EVENTS
=> The men’s and women’s singles champions at the US Open Tennis Championship will this year receive a record $1.8 mil each, a 6.4% increase on last year. Total prize purse for the competition, which is scheduled for Aug 29 to Sep 11 in New York, is $23.7 million, the US Tennis Association said. The US Open will be offering equal prize money to the men’s and women’s singles champions for the 39th successive year.
BIZ & BITES
=> Manchester Utd is the most valuable sports franchise in the world, according to Forbes' annual world's top 50, valued at $1.86 bil, ahead of NFL's Dallas Cowboys ($1.81 bil) and MLB's New York Yankees ($1.7 bil). Forbes noted that the Yankees are worth 86% more than baseball’s second most valuable team, the Boston Red Sox, ranked 31st. NFL's Washington Redskins ($1.55 bil) and Real Madrid ($1.45 bil) round out the top five. Forbes said TV ratings for NFL games are at "an all-time high," with the league's TV revenue up 700% over the past 25 years. The Jacksonville Jaguars, in 45th place, are the least valuable NFL franchise at $725 mil, but are still worth more than any NBA or NHL side as well as all but five of the 30 MLB franchises. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, each ranked 47th and 48th, were the only two NBA franchises to make top 50, which featured no NHL teams. Like the NBA, Formula 1 was represented by just two teams in the top 50; Ferrari and McLaren.
=> Leo Kirch, who turned his one-man film distribution into Germany’s second-biggest media business before losing control of it after a gamble on pa-TV, has died. He was 84. No cause of death was given but Kirch had suffered from diabetes and near-blindness for several years. Kirch Holding GmbH was once valued at $5 bil. It held Germany’s biggest film-licensing library, the nation’s only pay-TV channel and rights to 2 FIFA World Cups. When Kirch resigned, his companies were under court protection from creditors, the biggest bankruptcy filing in Germany since World War II.
Thursday, 14th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Thailand’s RS Company is set to launch a new pay-TV soccer channel next year with live coverage of Spanish Liga. RS picked up rights with a "huge" bid, according to Mediapro, Liga’s appointed agency. The acquisition is a blow to TrueVisions, which holds rights in a present contract period, expiring end 2011/12 season. Dominant pay-TV, TrueVisions, has over 9 mil subs to its satellite services who on the same day also announced a 3-year deal to broadcast UEFA Champions and Europa Leagues, in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos from 2012/13 to 14/15. TrueVisions had been paying close to $2 mil /year in its 3-yr Liga deal and the bid from RS is believed to be worth at least three times as much. Mediapro has carved Thailand out of the Asian rights package it sold to ESPN Star Sports, who is paying $6 mil /year for cross-platform rights in 18 Asian territories, including Malaysia and Indonesia.
=> Mediapro also recently agreed a renewal of Liga BBVA media rights with Sweden’s TV4, which acquired rights for the Nordic region of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The deal is thought to be valued at about €5.5 mil ($7.7 mil) /season in the present 3-yr deal to about €7 mil /season in the new cycle. Mediapro brought in close to €150 mil from international Liga rights for the present 3-yr period, and is expected to close in on €200 mil in new deals, thanks to large increases in territories like Thailand, where new player, RS, is believed to have agreed to pay $6 mil over 3 seasons from 2012/13.
=> Paraguayan soccer’s APF doubled TV rights revenues when it sealed a 7-yr renewal of an existing deal with agency, Teledeportes, for media rights to the top-tier domestic Primera División. APF will receive a base fee of $8.5 mil /season, for a total of close to $60 mil over 7 seasons from 2013/14 to 19/20. Teledeportes is controlled by Argentina's Clarín media group and will pay additional fees to cover payments to the lower divisions. Teledeportes' total revenue, it is believed, will reach $88 million over 7 years. The deal is a vast improvement over the present deal, in which APF earned a base fee of just over $3 mil /season.
=> The BBC is on the verge of agreeing a lucrative new deal to continue broadcasting rugby union’s Six Nations Championship. The deal will be for 4 years beginning in 2014, following the expiry in 2013 of the present deal. The present deal is estimated to be worth £40 mil ($63.3 mil) /season and the proposed renewal comes despite the fact that the BBC is facing cuts of up to 25% to its £300-mil sports rights budget.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> ESPN Star Sports has inked a 5-yr deal with Dorna Sports for exclusive broadcast of the MotoGP World Championship across 24 Asian countries. ESS has been broadcasting MotoGP for the past16 years and the new deal includes exclusive pay-TV coverage in addition to live broadcasts of all qualifying practices and GP races through its channels on television (ESPN, STAR Sports, and ESPN HD), online (ESPN Player), and mobile (Mobile ESPN). The current season covers 18 races held over four continents.
=> CFA Team China will return to CCTV after the state broadcaster signed a 3-and-half year deal with the Chinese Football Assoc.’s commercial partner China Football Industry Development Company/World Sport Group to broadcast games of the National Teams at all levels. The deal begins with the FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying match against Laos in Kunming on 23 July on CCTV 5 until the end of 2014. The deal with CCTV follows a 4-yr deal between WSG and the CFIDC to develop new commercial and media opportunities for CFA Team China in June.
=> Neo Sports has won broadcast rights for the French Open for the next 5 years over incumbent holder ESPN Star Sports. The deal covers 2012 to 2016 for the Indian Sub Continent. Terms were not disclosed. The French Open is a marquee Grand Slam event held in May and is regarded as one of the most physically demanding tennis tournaments in the world since it is the only Grand Slam played on clay.
=> MP & Silva has agreed an extension to its existing deal with DFL Sports Enterprises to widen distribution rights to the German Bundesliga to include France, becoming the 4th territory covered by the partnership, following a recent agreement for the rights in Japan, Vietnam and Belgium. Under the new deal, MP & Silva will be the exclusive distributor of the rights across all platforms, including cable, satellite, terrestrial, Web TV, IPTV and mobile, for the next three seasons.
STATS & DATA
=> In-home TV coverage of 2010 Fifa World Cup has broken viewership records by reaching over 3.2 bil people the world over, or 46.4% of the global population, based on a minimum of one minute of viewing. The figure is 8% over the previous edition in Germany. Based on viewers watching at least 20 consecutive minutes of coverage, WC2010 reached nearly a third of the world with 2.2 bil viewers, or 3% higher than 2006. Average in-home global audience for each match was 188.4 million, up 6% on 2006, while highest average audience was for the final between Spain and the Netherlands at 530.9 mil, up 5% on 2006. About 909.6 mil viewers watched at least one minute of the finals and is likely to have surpassed 1 bil if out-of-home viewers were included.
EVENTS
=> Motor racing’s GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series are to be merged from next year. The two series, which were launched in 2005 and 2008 respectively, are a support series for drivers that hope to progress to Formula 1, and this year, the series have featured, for the first time, the same 13 teams and the same car, the third-generation GP2/11. The decision follows the cancellation of two of GP2 Asia's three rounds, which were due to be held in Bahrain this year, because of the political situation there.
BIZ & BITES
=> Tony Fernandes is set to play Donald Trump's role in the Asian edition of The Apprentice, says the show's producer, RGM. Like the US version where winners go on to be Trump's apprentice, the Asian-edition winner will become a paid apprentice to Tony, who is one of Asia's youngest and most celebrated business leaders. He heads Malaysian conglomerate, Tune Group, the parent of airline AirAsia and the Formula One team Lotus Racing. He is expected to spice the 'ultimate job interview' with his trademark wit, daring decisions, and entrepreneurial grit.
=> The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) agreed a sponsorship deal with Telekom Malaysia that sees the telco continue its support of the Malaysian national team. The deal is worth RM24 mil (US$8 mil) over 4 years and sees TM becoming the official partner of the national football team, while the TM logo appear on national squad apparel during training and tournaments, as well as on sports goods and equipment. TM will also send two Malaysian footballers accompanied by a coach to attend training sessions abroad.
=> Thailand’s RS Company is set to launch a new pay-TV soccer channel next year with live coverage of Spanish Liga. RS picked up rights with a "huge" bid, according to Mediapro, Liga’s appointed agency. The acquisition is a blow to TrueVisions, which holds rights in a present contract period, expiring end 2011/12 season. Dominant pay-TV, TrueVisions, has over 9 mil subs to its satellite services who on the same day also announced a 3-year deal to broadcast UEFA Champions and Europa Leagues, in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos from 2012/13 to 14/15. TrueVisions had been paying close to $2 mil /year in its 3-yr Liga deal and the bid from RS is believed to be worth at least three times as much. Mediapro has carved Thailand out of the Asian rights package it sold to ESPN Star Sports, who is paying $6 mil /year for cross-platform rights in 18 Asian territories, including Malaysia and Indonesia.
=> Mediapro also recently agreed a renewal of Liga BBVA media rights with Sweden’s TV4, which acquired rights for the Nordic region of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The deal is thought to be valued at about €5.5 mil ($7.7 mil) /season in the present 3-yr deal to about €7 mil /season in the new cycle. Mediapro brought in close to €150 mil from international Liga rights for the present 3-yr period, and is expected to close in on €200 mil in new deals, thanks to large increases in territories like Thailand, where new player, RS, is believed to have agreed to pay $6 mil over 3 seasons from 2012/13.
=> Paraguayan soccer’s APF doubled TV rights revenues when it sealed a 7-yr renewal of an existing deal with agency, Teledeportes, for media rights to the top-tier domestic Primera División. APF will receive a base fee of $8.5 mil /season, for a total of close to $60 mil over 7 seasons from 2013/14 to 19/20. Teledeportes is controlled by Argentina's Clarín media group and will pay additional fees to cover payments to the lower divisions. Teledeportes' total revenue, it is believed, will reach $88 million over 7 years. The deal is a vast improvement over the present deal, in which APF earned a base fee of just over $3 mil /season.
=> The BBC is on the verge of agreeing a lucrative new deal to continue broadcasting rugby union’s Six Nations Championship. The deal will be for 4 years beginning in 2014, following the expiry in 2013 of the present deal. The present deal is estimated to be worth £40 mil ($63.3 mil) /season and the proposed renewal comes despite the fact that the BBC is facing cuts of up to 25% to its £300-mil sports rights budget.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> ESPN Star Sports has inked a 5-yr deal with Dorna Sports for exclusive broadcast of the MotoGP World Championship across 24 Asian countries. ESS has been broadcasting MotoGP for the past16 years and the new deal includes exclusive pay-TV coverage in addition to live broadcasts of all qualifying practices and GP races through its channels on television (ESPN, STAR Sports, and ESPN HD), online (ESPN Player), and mobile (Mobile ESPN). The current season covers 18 races held over four continents.
=> CFA Team China will return to CCTV after the state broadcaster signed a 3-and-half year deal with the Chinese Football Assoc.’s commercial partner China Football Industry Development Company/World Sport Group to broadcast games of the National Teams at all levels. The deal begins with the FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying match against Laos in Kunming on 23 July on CCTV 5 until the end of 2014. The deal with CCTV follows a 4-yr deal between WSG and the CFIDC to develop new commercial and media opportunities for CFA Team China in June.
=> Neo Sports has won broadcast rights for the French Open for the next 5 years over incumbent holder ESPN Star Sports. The deal covers 2012 to 2016 for the Indian Sub Continent. Terms were not disclosed. The French Open is a marquee Grand Slam event held in May and is regarded as one of the most physically demanding tennis tournaments in the world since it is the only Grand Slam played on clay.
=> MP & Silva has agreed an extension to its existing deal with DFL Sports Enterprises to widen distribution rights to the German Bundesliga to include France, becoming the 4th territory covered by the partnership, following a recent agreement for the rights in Japan, Vietnam and Belgium. Under the new deal, MP & Silva will be the exclusive distributor of the rights across all platforms, including cable, satellite, terrestrial, Web TV, IPTV and mobile, for the next three seasons.
STATS & DATA
=> In-home TV coverage of 2010 Fifa World Cup has broken viewership records by reaching over 3.2 bil people the world over, or 46.4% of the global population, based on a minimum of one minute of viewing. The figure is 8% over the previous edition in Germany. Based on viewers watching at least 20 consecutive minutes of coverage, WC2010 reached nearly a third of the world with 2.2 bil viewers, or 3% higher than 2006. Average in-home global audience for each match was 188.4 million, up 6% on 2006, while highest average audience was for the final between Spain and the Netherlands at 530.9 mil, up 5% on 2006. About 909.6 mil viewers watched at least one minute of the finals and is likely to have surpassed 1 bil if out-of-home viewers were included.
EVENTS
=> Motor racing’s GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series are to be merged from next year. The two series, which were launched in 2005 and 2008 respectively, are a support series for drivers that hope to progress to Formula 1, and this year, the series have featured, for the first time, the same 13 teams and the same car, the third-generation GP2/11. The decision follows the cancellation of two of GP2 Asia's three rounds, which were due to be held in Bahrain this year, because of the political situation there.
BIZ & BITES
=> Tony Fernandes is set to play Donald Trump's role in the Asian edition of The Apprentice, says the show's producer, RGM. Like the US version where winners go on to be Trump's apprentice, the Asian-edition winner will become a paid apprentice to Tony, who is one of Asia's youngest and most celebrated business leaders. He heads Malaysian conglomerate, Tune Group, the parent of airline AirAsia and the Formula One team Lotus Racing. He is expected to spice the 'ultimate job interview' with his trademark wit, daring decisions, and entrepreneurial grit.
=> The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) agreed a sponsorship deal with Telekom Malaysia that sees the telco continue its support of the Malaysian national team. The deal is worth RM24 mil (US$8 mil) over 4 years and sees TM becoming the official partner of the national football team, while the TM logo appear on national squad apparel during training and tournaments, as well as on sports goods and equipment. TM will also send two Malaysian footballers accompanied by a coach to attend training sessions abroad.
Tuesday, 12th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Italian Serie A clubs have agreed a new revenue-sharing deal for media rights for the 2010/11 season and approved guidelines for the sale of rights from 2012 to 2015. The clubs had earlier been at odds over respective shares of €197 mil ($281 mil) or about 25% of total annual media rights revenue. The clubs also agreed to guidelines for sale of rights of 2012/13 to 14/15 to switch to collective rights selling. Pay-TV Sky Italia was awarded a package of domestic rights in 2009 in a deal worth €1.16 bil ($1.67 bil), or €580 mil per season for two seasons. Digital terrestrial, Mediaset Premium, paid €437 mil (€211 mil for 2010/11 and €226 ,mil for 2011/12) for live coverage of another package of matches. In 2009, pubcaster Rai acquired highlight rights for €30 mil /season, meaning that the league raised €852.5 mil from domestic rights for 2010/11, plus €89.5 mil generated from sale of international rights to MP & Silva. 2011/12 yielded an increased total of €957.5 mil.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Inverleigh Media has launched 14 new TV series focused on the London 2012 Olympic Games, European soccer and lifestyle sports. Sales of programmes are managed by DSI, Inverleigh's content distribution arm and will be made available to pay-TV and free-to-air broadcasters "in all continents." The programming includes topical weekly content and documentary titles in full-length formats, with alternative short-form versions on offer for in-flight use. The titles, available a stand-alone basis or as part of a package, encompass sport, lifestyle and entertainment, and nine of them will be produced in HD.
STATS & DATA
=> Digital TV Research predicts solid growth in the DTH satellite pay-TV market over the next 5 years, growing from 139 mil homes at the end 2010 to 195 mil by end 2016. The Satellite TV Forecasts report estimates penetration at 10.3% of TV households at end-2010, and will reach 13.1% by 2016. India leads the sector with 45 mil pay DTH homes in 2016, followed by the US with 36 mil but penetration will be highest in South Africa (47%) and Ireland (41%). Satellite TV revenues are expected to overtake cable TV sometime in 2011 and on to reach $86 bil by 2016 (from $71 billion in 2010). DTH will command half of total pay-TV revenues by 2016, up from only 43% in 2006.
Monday, 11th July 2011
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Content Media Corporation is the new exclusive distributor for live and archive content from the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA) outside of the UK. BAMMA is the largest MMA organization in Europe with TV viewing figures as high as 835,000 adults. BAMMA events have been carried live on UK’s Syfy and the new deal with CMC will bring its portfolio to international broadcast and digital marketplace.
NEW MEDIA
=> Japanese telco NTT DoCoMo and Chinese search engine Baidu have teamed up to distribute mobile content to Chinese users. The two plan to form a joint venture next month and DoCoMo is expected to invest about 2 bil yen (£15.4m). Baidu will take an 80% stake in the JV, while DoCoMo will own the remainder. The two plan to develop and operate a site with search functions and will call on Japanese companies to supply content such as games, animation and comics for subscribers of Chinese mobile phone carriers, including China Mobile. DoCoMo has plans to form a content distribution system in Vietnam and market its services to telcos in other parts of Asia as well. It is also considering investment in local content providers, Nikkei reported.
=> Encompass Digital Media announced plans for a US$20 mil investment into Singapore operations, boosting capacity through technology and infrastructure upgrading. The investment will also be targeted at employee upskilling and engagement with the wider community. Encompass holds over 30% share in Asia’s digital media services market, providing to media companies as Tiger Gate Ent., ESPN Star Sports, Sony Entertainment, Life Inspired and SingTel. At present it holds 260,000 hours of TV content at its facilities in east Singapore.
STATS & DATA
=> The global online TV market is forecast to reach $81.2 bil by 2017 says Companiesandmarkets. The analyst says key drivers for this surge are mainly in the growing need for running widgets through TV, higher definition and wider spectrum of channels and entertainment options. The analyst sees Asia-Pac blazing the trail with a CAGR of 59% through 2017. US and Europe will still be at the forefront of online TV revenue, with Europe drawing from traditional online TV and IPTV power house France, Germany and the UK. The analyst also predicts that more consumers will discard traditional TV and embrace viewing video content online and online TV will become part of the mass market.
EVENTS
=> The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has approved a proposal to organise an Indian Badminton League. Dates and format of the league will be finalised later this month. The IBL will be a major step up for the Maharashtra Badminton League that was held in May. The key ingredient of the IBL will be international player-participation. Pune’s WIE Sports Complex will likely host the IBL.
=> Chinese telecom, Huawei, has agreed a deal to become the sole sponsor of this year’s Italian Supercoppa. The traditional pre-season match, played between the league, and cup champions, will this year feature AC and Inter Milan. For the second time in three years, it will be played in the Beijing National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest. Huawei are keen to extend international presence and have already indicated that this is the first of a series of sponsorship ventures. Huawei are currently the tenth largest mobile handset provider, recently announcing plans to release a range of tablets.
=> The Daejeon Int. Open in S.Korea has been added to the World Tenpin Bowling Association's inaugural World Bowling Tour. Organised by the Korea Professional Bowling Association, the event will be held Aug 21 to 26 and offers a prize fund of nearly $185,000 with the winner taking home nearly $46,000. The Open will be the 6th of eight stops of the tour, with Thailand's World Bowling Tour in Sep and AMF Australian Masters in Oct concluding the series. That will be followed by the season-ending WBT Finals in which the top three men and top three women in the points list will compete for a total prize fund of $40,000. Other tour stops this year were held in Helsinki in Finland, Kuwait, Saint Maximin in France and Nevada and New Jersey in USA.
=> Content Media Corporation is the new exclusive distributor for live and archive content from the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA) outside of the UK. BAMMA is the largest MMA organization in Europe with TV viewing figures as high as 835,000 adults. BAMMA events have been carried live on UK’s Syfy and the new deal with CMC will bring its portfolio to international broadcast and digital marketplace.
NEW MEDIA
=> Japanese telco NTT DoCoMo and Chinese search engine Baidu have teamed up to distribute mobile content to Chinese users. The two plan to form a joint venture next month and DoCoMo is expected to invest about 2 bil yen (£15.4m). Baidu will take an 80% stake in the JV, while DoCoMo will own the remainder. The two plan to develop and operate a site with search functions and will call on Japanese companies to supply content such as games, animation and comics for subscribers of Chinese mobile phone carriers, including China Mobile. DoCoMo has plans to form a content distribution system in Vietnam and market its services to telcos in other parts of Asia as well. It is also considering investment in local content providers, Nikkei reported.
=> Encompass Digital Media announced plans for a US$20 mil investment into Singapore operations, boosting capacity through technology and infrastructure upgrading. The investment will also be targeted at employee upskilling and engagement with the wider community. Encompass holds over 30% share in Asia’s digital media services market, providing to media companies as Tiger Gate Ent., ESPN Star Sports, Sony Entertainment, Life Inspired and SingTel. At present it holds 260,000 hours of TV content at its facilities in east Singapore.
STATS & DATA
=> The global online TV market is forecast to reach $81.2 bil by 2017 says Companiesandmarkets. The analyst says key drivers for this surge are mainly in the growing need for running widgets through TV, higher definition and wider spectrum of channels and entertainment options. The analyst sees Asia-Pac blazing the trail with a CAGR of 59% through 2017. US and Europe will still be at the forefront of online TV revenue, with Europe drawing from traditional online TV and IPTV power house France, Germany and the UK. The analyst also predicts that more consumers will discard traditional TV and embrace viewing video content online and online TV will become part of the mass market.
EVENTS
=> The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has approved a proposal to organise an Indian Badminton League. Dates and format of the league will be finalised later this month. The IBL will be a major step up for the Maharashtra Badminton League that was held in May. The key ingredient of the IBL will be international player-participation. Pune’s WIE Sports Complex will likely host the IBL.
=> Chinese telecom, Huawei, has agreed a deal to become the sole sponsor of this year’s Italian Supercoppa. The traditional pre-season match, played between the league, and cup champions, will this year feature AC and Inter Milan. For the second time in three years, it will be played in the Beijing National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest. Huawei are keen to extend international presence and have already indicated that this is the first of a series of sponsorship ventures. Huawei are currently the tenth largest mobile handset provider, recently announcing plans to release a range of tablets.
=> The Daejeon Int. Open in S.Korea has been added to the World Tenpin Bowling Association's inaugural World Bowling Tour. Organised by the Korea Professional Bowling Association, the event will be held Aug 21 to 26 and offers a prize fund of nearly $185,000 with the winner taking home nearly $46,000. The Open will be the 6th of eight stops of the tour, with Thailand's World Bowling Tour in Sep and AMF Australian Masters in Oct concluding the series. That will be followed by the season-ending WBT Finals in which the top three men and top three women in the points list will compete for a total prize fund of $40,000. Other tour stops this year were held in Helsinki in Finland, Kuwait, Saint Maximin in France and Nevada and New Jersey in USA.
Friday, 8th July 2011
RIGHTS FEES
=> Signed earlier this week, the 12-year deal that the All England Lawn Tennis Club made with Disney-owned ESPN to become exclusive US television broadcaster of Wimbledon until 2023, is now said to be worth in excess of £150 million ($239 million). ESPN had ousted Comcast-owned, NBC , for the tournament to which the network had held rights to for the last 43 years but lost out in the latest tender. Its 4-yr deal, which expired after this year's tournament, was worth $12 mil /year.
=> The International Olympic Committee has now raised $3.2 bil from sale of TV rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics with deals still to be concluded in some major markets. The final total is likely to exceed $4 bil. The IOC signed new TV rights deals in Korea (SBS), Germany (ARD and ZDF) and France (France Télévisions) this week, complementing the $4.38-bil deal with US network NBC. The renewals in Korea and USA both cover four games (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020). Sale of rights for Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 has generated $3.9 bil and the IOC has already raised $2.6 bil for PyeongChang 2018 and yet-unnamed 2020. The IOC earned $2.6 bil from sale of TV rights and $866 mil from sponsorship in the 4-year cycle including Turin 2006 and Beijing 2008. IOC finances were now “solid” with reserves at $592 mil, up from $563 mil at end 2010 and $466 mil at end 2009.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Tiger Gate Entertainment expanded reach into the Philippines with the launch of its channels KIX and Thrill on SkyCable Basic. The partnership with SkyCable is in line with the company's expansion plans across APAC. It is already available in Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
=> According to a 2011 EMS Summer Survey, pan-European Eurosport’s combined 55% reach across TV, online and mobile out-stripped nearest rivals MTV by 12% and Discovery and CNN by 3 % and 4% more respectively. Sport remains the key audience driver across categories ahead of news, with premium rights as a key audience driver. Also showing impressive growth was the company’s online and mobile TV strategies. Eurosport.com has a monthly reach of 7.2 mil, an increase in online reach of 8.5% over 2010. Eurosport.com's iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry apps are used by 2.2 mil Europeans monthly, up 13% on a year on year basis. The iPad news and results app, the only tablet product to date, has been downloaded over 400,000 times.
=> Meanwhile, Eurosport will double its coverage of snooker coverage after signing a new rights deal with World Snooker which runs until 2016. Brokered by IMG Media, the deal for World Snooker events, will entail Eurosport showing 19 tournaments each season, up from 10 under the present deal. Eurosport, which has broadcast snooker since 2003, acquired exclusive TV and digital rights to broadcast on its Eurosport and Eurosport 2 channels, as well as on the Eurosport Player web TV service and mobile application.
=> A new internet sports channel is to launch in the UK in September with a specific focus on streaming British sports events that do not command airtime on free-to-air networks. GBsport TV is being launched by Input Media, Convers Sports Initiatives, Telegraph Media Group and Kameleon, a brand engagement firm. It will stream around 1,400 hours of live sports coverage a year, initially on computers and smartphones, with the core sports set to include athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, handball, hockey, rowing, sailing, swimming, taekwondo, tennis and winter sports.
=> As part of a strategy to build sports offerings in the UK, ESPN is taking up live coverage of the Winmau World Masters dart tournament. The 2011 Winmau World Masters will add to ESPN’s growing line-up of UK and international sport including the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Europa League, NFL’s Monday Night Football, NBA, UFC, AFL and French Top 14 rugby. ESPN will provide live and exclusive coverage from all 3 days of the British Darts Organisation’s (BDO’s) flagship tournament from 2–4 September. ESPN’s live televised darts coverage will be led by leading UK sports anchor Ray Stubbs.
NEW MEDIA
=> Reacting to Google+ multi-user video chat option, Facebook launched a similar product in partnership with Skype. Facebook said: "We're making video chat available in over 70 different languages, so friends can stay in touch all over the world." Facebook has revamped chat design to include a sidebar that lists people that users message most. making it easier to start chatting. Facebook boasts 750 mil users globally and is leveraging partnerships and seeking new ones to avert user defection to rival social network sites, mainly Google+. Earlier this year, Warner Bros studio announced plans to offer movie rentals on Facebook for US$3.
EVENTS
=> Johnson & Johnson has signed up as the last major sponsor for FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. J&J will be one of 8 second-tier ‘World Cup Sponsors’ with exclusive rights in the healthcare category. The deal also covers FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil in 2013. J&J was previously a TOP sponsor of the IOC for Beijing 2008, to which it committed over $73 mil, but had declined to extend its partnership after the games. Other second-level sponsors for Brazil 2014 are Anheuser-Busch, Castrol, Continental, Mahindra Satyam, McDonald’s, Seara and Yingli Green Energy.
=> The World Squash Federation has enlisted sport-business consultants, Vero Communications to push its Olympic credentials. Vero, which is celebrating its client PyeongChang being named host of the 2018 winter Olympics, has been appointed as WSF's bid management company and will be tasked with promoting the sport as it aims to become part of the Olympic programme for the first time at the 2020 games. Squash was one of 8 sports on the 2020 shortlist released by the IOC earlier this week, along with baseball, karate, roller sports, softball, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu.
=> The Indonesian government has aloloted a budget of Rp2.533 tri ($300 mil) for the hosting of this year’s SEA Games. Alfian Malarangeng, the minister for youth and sport, said that the organising committee has a shortfall of Rp1.6 tri but that this could be compressed to Rp1.1 tri. He denied that this would lead to fewer sports events, saying: “We will stick to the number of sports. The efficiency would only impact on the number of volunteers, secretariat staffs and promotion cost.” As many as 43 sports will be included in the SEA Games to be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25.
=> Signed earlier this week, the 12-year deal that the All England Lawn Tennis Club made with Disney-owned ESPN to become exclusive US television broadcaster of Wimbledon until 2023, is now said to be worth in excess of £150 million ($239 million). ESPN had ousted Comcast-owned, NBC , for the tournament to which the network had held rights to for the last 43 years but lost out in the latest tender. Its 4-yr deal, which expired after this year's tournament, was worth $12 mil /year.
=> The International Olympic Committee has now raised $3.2 bil from sale of TV rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics with deals still to be concluded in some major markets. The final total is likely to exceed $4 bil. The IOC signed new TV rights deals in Korea (SBS), Germany (ARD and ZDF) and France (France Télévisions) this week, complementing the $4.38-bil deal with US network NBC. The renewals in Korea and USA both cover four games (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020). Sale of rights for Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 has generated $3.9 bil and the IOC has already raised $2.6 bil for PyeongChang 2018 and yet-unnamed 2020. The IOC earned $2.6 bil from sale of TV rights and $866 mil from sponsorship in the 4-year cycle including Turin 2006 and Beijing 2008. IOC finances were now “solid” with reserves at $592 mil, up from $563 mil at end 2010 and $466 mil at end 2009.
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Tiger Gate Entertainment expanded reach into the Philippines with the launch of its channels KIX and Thrill on SkyCable Basic. The partnership with SkyCable is in line with the company's expansion plans across APAC. It is already available in Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
=> According to a 2011 EMS Summer Survey, pan-European Eurosport’s combined 55% reach across TV, online and mobile out-stripped nearest rivals MTV by 12% and Discovery and CNN by 3 % and 4% more respectively. Sport remains the key audience driver across categories ahead of news, with premium rights as a key audience driver. Also showing impressive growth was the company’s online and mobile TV strategies. Eurosport.com has a monthly reach of 7.2 mil, an increase in online reach of 8.5% over 2010. Eurosport.com's iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry apps are used by 2.2 mil Europeans monthly, up 13% on a year on year basis. The iPad news and results app, the only tablet product to date, has been downloaded over 400,000 times.
=> Meanwhile, Eurosport will double its coverage of snooker coverage after signing a new rights deal with World Snooker which runs until 2016. Brokered by IMG Media, the deal for World Snooker events, will entail Eurosport showing 19 tournaments each season, up from 10 under the present deal. Eurosport, which has broadcast snooker since 2003, acquired exclusive TV and digital rights to broadcast on its Eurosport and Eurosport 2 channels, as well as on the Eurosport Player web TV service and mobile application.
=> A new internet sports channel is to launch in the UK in September with a specific focus on streaming British sports events that do not command airtime on free-to-air networks. GBsport TV is being launched by Input Media, Convers Sports Initiatives, Telegraph Media Group and Kameleon, a brand engagement firm. It will stream around 1,400 hours of live sports coverage a year, initially on computers and smartphones, with the core sports set to include athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, handball, hockey, rowing, sailing, swimming, taekwondo, tennis and winter sports.
=> As part of a strategy to build sports offerings in the UK, ESPN is taking up live coverage of the Winmau World Masters dart tournament. The 2011 Winmau World Masters will add to ESPN’s growing line-up of UK and international sport including the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Europa League, NFL’s Monday Night Football, NBA, UFC, AFL and French Top 14 rugby. ESPN will provide live and exclusive coverage from all 3 days of the British Darts Organisation’s (BDO’s) flagship tournament from 2–4 September. ESPN’s live televised darts coverage will be led by leading UK sports anchor Ray Stubbs.
NEW MEDIA
=> Reacting to Google+ multi-user video chat option, Facebook launched a similar product in partnership with Skype. Facebook said: "We're making video chat available in over 70 different languages, so friends can stay in touch all over the world." Facebook has revamped chat design to include a sidebar that lists people that users message most. making it easier to start chatting. Facebook boasts 750 mil users globally and is leveraging partnerships and seeking new ones to avert user defection to rival social network sites, mainly Google+. Earlier this year, Warner Bros studio announced plans to offer movie rentals on Facebook for US$3.
EVENTS
=> Johnson & Johnson has signed up as the last major sponsor for FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. J&J will be one of 8 second-tier ‘World Cup Sponsors’ with exclusive rights in the healthcare category. The deal also covers FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil in 2013. J&J was previously a TOP sponsor of the IOC for Beijing 2008, to which it committed over $73 mil, but had declined to extend its partnership after the games. Other second-level sponsors for Brazil 2014 are Anheuser-Busch, Castrol, Continental, Mahindra Satyam, McDonald’s, Seara and Yingli Green Energy.
=> The World Squash Federation has enlisted sport-business consultants, Vero Communications to push its Olympic credentials. Vero, which is celebrating its client PyeongChang being named host of the 2018 winter Olympics, has been appointed as WSF's bid management company and will be tasked with promoting the sport as it aims to become part of the Olympic programme for the first time at the 2020 games. Squash was one of 8 sports on the 2020 shortlist released by the IOC earlier this week, along with baseball, karate, roller sports, softball, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu.
=> The Indonesian government has aloloted a budget of Rp2.533 tri ($300 mil) for the hosting of this year’s SEA Games. Alfian Malarangeng, the minister for youth and sport, said that the organising committee has a shortfall of Rp1.6 tri but that this could be compressed to Rp1.1 tri. He denied that this would lead to fewer sports events, saying: “We will stick to the number of sports. The efficiency would only impact on the number of volunteers, secretariat staffs and promotion cost.” As many as 43 sports will be included in the SEA Games to be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25.
Thursday, 7th July 2011
BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION
=> Medge Consulting have partnered with Advisers Media International (AMI) to secure international media rights for the NHL in Europe, Africa and the Middle East over the next 5 years. The deal includes live HD broadcasting for 480 games /season including the playoffs, Stanley Cup Final and the NHL Winter Classic. It also includes highlights packages and supplementary programming. The NHL is keen to increase its international status and the deal includes strategic focus on promoting ice hockey in Europe and other parts of the world. AMI and Medge have both had successes with distributing Premier League rights in various countries.
STATS & DATA
=> GroupM lowered its forecast for global adspend growth in 2011 from 5.8% to 4.8% as a result of economic effects of the Japanese twin disasters and political unrest in the Mid East. Japan itself has seen its forecast of 3% increase in ad spend this year revised to a 5% decline. In the Mid East, ad spend is expected to fall by $1.2 bil in 2011. GroupM estimates global adspend will reach $506 bil this year, rising 6.8% to $540.3 bil next year, driven by the Olympics and 2012 U.S. elections. Forecasts remain strong for Asia Pac, with a 6.2% growth rate and ad spend of $157 bil this year, rising 10.3% to $173.1 bil in 2012. The Mid East and Africa will slow from last year's 12% growth rate to just 2.5% this year. In 2012, GroupM sees a 7% recovery to reach $17.7 bil.
BIZ & BITES
=> The International Olympic Committee elected PyeongChang in South Korea as host city of the Olympic Winter Games in 2018. PyeongChang won the first round of voting with 63 votes, against Munich (25 votes) and Annecy (7 votes). IOC President Jacques Rogge congratulated PyeongChang for winning the vote and praised the high quality of their file and final presentation. The IOC President also thanked Munich (Germany) and Annecy (France) for their efforts and the quality of their candidatures.
=> The World Squash Federation and Professional Squash Association have expressed delight at squash's inclusion on the shortlist for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games. Squash was one of 8 sports shortlisted by the IOC, along with baseball, karate, roller sports, softball, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu. Four sports which failed to make the cut were bowling, dancing, netball and surfing. Despite being shortlisted for 2016 Olympic Games, squash was left out in favour of rugby sevens and golf, but the WSF and the PSA, claim to have boost its profile since, including the launch of the PSA Super Series, which attracted new sponsors and broadcasters into the fray.
=> Medge Consulting have partnered with Advisers Media International (AMI) to secure international media rights for the NHL in Europe, Africa and the Middle East over the next 5 years. The deal includes live HD broadcasting for 480 games /season including the playoffs, Stanley Cup Final and the NHL Winter Classic. It also includes highlights packages and supplementary programming. The NHL is keen to increase its international status and the deal includes strategic focus on promoting ice hockey in Europe and other parts of the world. AMI and Medge have both had successes with distributing Premier League rights in various countries.
STATS & DATA
=> GroupM lowered its forecast for global adspend growth in 2011 from 5.8% to 4.8% as a result of economic effects of the Japanese twin disasters and political unrest in the Mid East. Japan itself has seen its forecast of 3% increase in ad spend this year revised to a 5% decline. In the Mid East, ad spend is expected to fall by $1.2 bil in 2011. GroupM estimates global adspend will reach $506 bil this year, rising 6.8% to $540.3 bil next year, driven by the Olympics and 2012 U.S. elections. Forecasts remain strong for Asia Pac, with a 6.2% growth rate and ad spend of $157 bil this year, rising 10.3% to $173.1 bil in 2012. The Mid East and Africa will slow from last year's 12% growth rate to just 2.5% this year. In 2012, GroupM sees a 7% recovery to reach $17.7 bil.
BIZ & BITES
=> The International Olympic Committee elected PyeongChang in South Korea as host city of the Olympic Winter Games in 2018. PyeongChang won the first round of voting with 63 votes, against Munich (25 votes) and Annecy (7 votes). IOC President Jacques Rogge congratulated PyeongChang for winning the vote and praised the high quality of their file and final presentation. The IOC President also thanked Munich (Germany) and Annecy (France) for their efforts and the quality of their candidatures.
=> The World Squash Federation and Professional Squash Association have expressed delight at squash's inclusion on the shortlist for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games. Squash was one of 8 sports shortlisted by the IOC, along with baseball, karate, roller sports, softball, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu. Four sports which failed to make the cut were bowling, dancing, netball and surfing. Despite being shortlisted for 2016 Olympic Games, squash was left out in favour of rugby sevens and golf, but the WSF and the PSA, claim to have boost its profile since, including the launch of the PSA Super Series, which attracted new sponsors and broadcasters into the fray.