Polish Press Reports Polsat TV Acquires 2018 World Cup, Euro 2016 Rights

The Polish press is reporting that Polsat TV "has acquired the rights to Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 qualifying games in the country, plus rights to the Euro 2016 finals tournament," according to SOCCEREX. If confirmed, the deal, reportedly valued at some €35M ($48M), "marks a significant change" in Polish football coverage. Public broadcaster TVP, which has already secured the rights to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals, "will no longer broadcast Poland qualifying games." Polsat is "set to broadcast national team qualifiers live on a free-to-air basis, although reports suggest it will broadcast the majority of other qualifying games included in the rights package behind its paywall." Poland is "the latest European territory" in which CAA Eleven, which is selling UEFA’s national team rights packages for the first time, has closed a deal (SOCCEREX, 12/13).