Monday, 1st August 2011

RIGHTS FEES

=>  BSkyB will be the only domestic broadcaster showing live coverage of every F1 race from next year, following a newly-negotiated 7-yr deal in which rights will be shared with the BBC, who will show only half of the races live. The BBC presently holds exclusive rights to F1 in a 2009 deal, but is under pressure to cut costs. The new deal runs from 2012 to 2018 and BSkyB will cover every practice, qualifying and race sessions, with the BBC will show half of the races and accompanying sessions live. In 2009, the BBC replaced commercial broadcaster ITV as the UK home of F1 in an exclusive 5-yr deal worth £200 mil ($326 mil).

=>  Meanwhile, the BBC claimed that sacrificing live coverage of 50% of F1 the races was necessary to ensure that it can continue to show the sport in future. The BBC is coming in for criticism from motor racing fans accustomed to accessing every GP live on FTA TV after it renegotiated its exclusive rights deal, on which there are still two years to run, to share coverage with BSkyB, from 2012 until 2018. The combined deal is worth up to £60 mil ($98 mil) /year, a 50% increase on previous arrangements. The move was necessary as the BBC seeks to make cost savings of 20% from its budget after a freeze on licence fee, with the public broadcaster arguing that it would have been forced to drop coverage altogether if it had not teamed up with BSkyB.

=>  Belgian telecom, Telenet, upped its full-year revenue outlook by predicting growth of 6% after acquiring rights to Belgian soccer’s Jupiler Pro League. Pro League announced the domestic broadcast rights agreement from 2011/12 to 13/14 as Telenet acquired top rights packages and incumbent holder and rival Belgacom lost a large share of its live rights in new deals worth just under €166 mil over 3 seasons. The agreement is worth €55.25 mil /season, around €10 mil /season more than the rights deal from 2008/09 to 10/11. Telenet has said it will broadcast all matches from the Belgian top flight from 2012/13 onwards by acquiring an extra package of non-exclusive rights (already held by Belgacom) to add to its recently-acquired rights for the top league matches.


BROADCAST & RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION

=>  A INR100 crore makeover of the overseas arm of India’s state TV, Doordarshan (DD) is underway, after the Info and Broadcasting Ministry announced it should be repositioned to appeal more to Indians overseas. Stronger coordination between the Ministry and external affairs ministries has been called for by the I&B minister in order to update DD India and to expand its global reach to 100 countries. DD India is available in up to 35 countries but its global popularity with Indians abroad is eclipsed by privately run satellite TV channels from Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Star India, Viacom 18 and NDTV. Previously known as DD World, DD India was launched in 1995.

=>  Australian subscription TV's ad revenue has increased 7% in the first half of 2011, according to a report by Ernst & Young, to net ad revenue of over A$180 mil (US$198 mil) from 1 Jan to 30 Jun. Total ad revenue for 2011 fiscal year exceeded A$385 mil (US$424 mil). Over 6 mil people tune into subscription TV weekly, to watch over 200 genre channels ranging from documentaries to sports. It continues to be one of the fastest growing media with ad revenue up by more than 22.3% since 2008.


EVENTS

=>  Red Bull China has become an official supplier of the Yonex BWF World Badminton Championships, London 2011, after agreeing a deal with Badminton England. The energy drinks brand will enjoy extensive advertising presence courtside and throughout the venue at Wembley Arena, which will host badminton events at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The World Championships in will be played from 8th to 14th Aug and aired on Sky Sports (UK) and CCTV (China) and by other broadcasters around the world.

=>  95% of tickets for the squash’s finale weekend combined World Open in Rotterdam, featuring 112 best men and 72 best women in the world, have already been sold. The first six days of the tournament will take place at Rotterdam’s Victoria Squash Club before the final four days are switched to an all-glass court situated on the podium of the city’s New Luxor Theatre, which has a capacity of 1,400 spectators. The World Squash Open is the culmination of the top-tier men’s PSA and women’s WISPA tours and offers a record $418,000 prize fund. The event is scheduled for October 28 to November 6.

=>  Japan coach John Kirwan believes Asia will eventually become a major force in rugby union, a sport dominated by Europe and southern-hemisphere nations like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Japan won the Pacific Nations Cup two weeks ago after a fourth straight success in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations title in May and Kirwan is now preparing his side for the Rugby World Cup which starts in September in New Zealand, where the former All Black won the tournament as a player in 1987. While teaching youngsters in this year’s HSBC ARFU Rugby Coaching Tour, the former winger is convinced that Asia has begun a long-term process that will eventually take it to the sport’s top table.

=>  Meanwhile, plans for 3D coverage of this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand have been scrapped after leading 3D broadcast technology firm producer, 3DLive, said it was unable to meet its production commitments. The provision of 3D broadcasts was to cost 3DLive between NZ$4 mil ($3.49 mil) and NZ$5 mil. 3DLive also signed contracts with international broadcasters to provide a 3D feed, while Sky New Zealand and tournament host broadcaster, had promised to be the first broadcaster in New Zealand to deliver 3D programming. RWCL has, however, confirmed that all 48 games of the tournament will be available in high-definition.


BIZ & BITES

=>  China's Zhang Jilong will remain the head of the Asian Football Confederation until the organisation's congress in May 2012. As recommended by the AFC's legal committee, an extraordinary congress for the election of president can be convened if the office of president falls vacant for more than one year. This means that a congress cannot be convened until after 30 May, 2012. At a meeting of the AFC executive committee, Zhang was unanimously nominated by the committee for the Asian seat on the FIFA executive committee.