Channel Nine has signaled "it is keen to claim a slice" of the Australian Football League broadcast rights for the first time in a decade. The exec charged with leading Nine's bid, Jeff Browne, met AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan last week, "indicating the network's interest in securing one match a round." This "would likely be a Saturday game, ensuring Nine can preserve its coverage" of live National Rugby League matches on Friday night and Sunday afternoon (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/9). ... Radio France "has been named as the official radio partner" for
the UEFA European Championship 2016. Euro 2016 will take place in France between June 10 and July 10
next year, "during which time all of Radio France’s seven national
stations and 44 local stations, as well as its digital offerings, will
be dominated by coverage of Euro 2016" (SOCCEREX, 6/9). ... SNTV, a sports news video agency jointly owned by IMG and the AP, will open a new bureau in Dubai, UAE, to cater for the increased interest in sports news from the Gulf. SNTV has recruited Dubai-based video journalist Tarek Boussaha to service clients based in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Boussaha will cover the MENA region, offering clients more Arabic-voiced interviews and soundbites from events such as the Asian Football Confederation Asian Champions League and AFC Cup previews (SNTV). ... Next year's Champions League games will be broadcast in Spain on Atresmedia's Antena 3. Antena 3 will carry both the "best game every Tuesday" and the final. Atresmedia's deal will see it carry Champions League games through the '17-18 season (SUPERDEPORTE, 6/8).
