Eleven Sports Network signed a multi-year agreement with cable operator Toya, meaning the network has close to 100% TV distribution of its Eleven and Eleven Sports channels in Poland. Both channels are available on a total of 53 cable operators across the country, including the five largest: UPC, Vectra, Multimedia, Inea and Toya, and both direct-to-home TV platforms: nc+ and Cyfrowy Polsat. In addition to Toya, Eleven Sports Network also announced it has signed multi-year distribution agreements with five more cable operators in Poland including Satpol, E-Cho, Telewizja Kablowa Koszalin, Podlaskie Sieci Światlowodowe and Feromedia (Eleven Sports Network).
FACEBOOK HISTORY: Wayne Rooney's testimonial match between ManU and Everton on Wednesday "will make history as the first ever game between Premier League teams to be streamed live on Facebook." It will be available to 1.7 billion people "on the platform worldwide" via Rooney's and the ManU Facebook pages. Proceeds "will be distributed to Rooney's four chosen charities" (BBC, 8/2).
TOP SPOT: Clare Balding will have the BBC's starring role leading its Olympics coverage after it was "mutually agreed" that its London 2012 anchorman Gary Lineker would cover the start of the Premier League football season instead. Balding will front the prime-time evening Olympics show "alongside Mark Chapman, with Hazel Irvine the figurehead for the afternoon show and Gabby Logan leading the athletics coverage." Lineker was handed top billing in the primetime evening slot for London "but the demands of football mean that the 55-year-old will play no part in Rio" (LONDON TIMES, 8/3).
