German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF said that they "likely will not return to broadcast the Tour de France after 2015, when the Tour's current TV contracts expire." Asked what will happen after '15, ARD Sports Dir Axel Balkausky said, "Probably nothing. We are currently not asking ourselves this question." And ZDF Sports Dir Dieter Gruschwitz thinks it is "difficult to imagine" that we will change our current position. He said, "I don't know if and when cycling will ever again regain its credibility." Pan-European channel Eurosport on the other hand "will broadcast 280 hours of this year's Tour de France" (DWDL, 7/1). ... German pay-TV channel Sky Sport News HD "will again have a daily football transfer news show called 'Transfer Report' in its program ahead of the start of the new Bundesliga season." Starting immediately until Sept. 2, the 30-minute show "will air Monday through Friday at 6pm German time" (DWDL, 7/1). ... A European Tour golf ad pits Rory McIlroy "against a wise-cracking golf-ball-hitting robot named Jeff in a contest to see who can chip the most balls into washing machines on a driving range." The video "has gone viral," with almost 2 million views in four days (ADWEEK, 7/1). ... The European Handball Federation's marketing arm, Marketing GmbH, has signed a long-term deal with MP & Silva to market the media rights for Europe's top club handball competitions. The seven-year contract includes the sale of media rights on all platforms worldwide for the VELUX EHF Champions League, Women's EHF Champions League and Men's EHF Cup as well as the finals of other club competitions including the Women's EHF Cup, Women's Cup Winners' Cup and Men's and Women's Challenge Cup. The deal also includes the worldwide streaming rights for betting companies (EHF).
