Vodafone Portugal and Nos "announced a content distribution agreement that includes all national and international sport content rights currently owned or to be acquired by either of the parties." This deal, covering several sports seasons, ensures that both companies "will make available to each other all football transmission rights, as well as all transmission and distribution rights to sports and/or club channels that each party holds at any point in time." This deal will be effective from the '16-17 season, "ensuring that all Nos and Vodafone customers will have access to the Benfica Club channel and to the Benfica home matches, regardless of the channel on which these matches are broadcast." This deal "was designed to be open to other telecom operators, the operators said, saying they are committed to creating an open market, where access to relevant content is available to all" (TELECOM PAPER, 5/18).
SUMMER PLANS: Sky Sports will show Premier League champion Leicester City exclusively live against Barcelona, Paris St. Germain and Celtic in the Int'l Champions Cup this summer. Sky Sports will show up to 17 matches exclusively live from the three-week tournament in July and August. Sky Sports will also show highlights of five matches involving ManU and Chelsea (Sky Sports).
NO FREEBIES: The Europa League final between Liverpool and Sevilla on Wednesday "was not available on free-TV in Spain." Only "customers with subscriptions to certain pay-TV platforms had access to the match." The reason the game was not carried on free-TV "can be found in the country's General Audiovisual Communication Law," which does not include the Europa League among its "events of general interest to the public" (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 5/18).
ACB GAME AIRS ON FACEBOOK: Wednesday's Spanish Basketball League (ACB) game between Real Madrid and Laboral Kutxa "became the first Spanish basketball game to air live on Facebook." The game was available to Facebook users on the official FB page of the ACB. The "intention of the ACB was to give the game a more social and viral feel" (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 5/18).
MEDIA BRIEFS ...
Real Madrid and Portugal int'l Cristiano Ronaldo has "caused controversy" by appearing in a telecom advert in Israel. Ronaldo "came under fire on social media from Palestinian and pro-Palestinian activists, with many expressing their distaste at the footballer’s association with Israel." It is "the third time Ronaldo has appeared in an advert for the Israeli company" (GULF NEWS, 5/18).
FIBA announced a nine-year integrated partnership with digital company Tencent. The agreement involves digital media rights as well as the hosting of the FIBA.com website in China. The FIBA event coverage includes the FIBA Basketball World Cups 2019 and 2023 and their qualifiers, the FIBA Asia Cups 2017, 2021 & 2025 and their qualifiers, as well as the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cups, all other continental cups (men and women) and Youth World Championships (FIBA).
