England rugby's autumn internationals are "likely to continue to be broadcast on Sky Sports" beyond '20. RFU CEO Steve Brown revealed "he is keen to extend the five-year deal," with overall broadcast rights currently accounting for £45.3M ($60.6M) of the body’s £184.9M ($247.5M) annual revenue. Sky has "more financial muscle than free-to-air rivals and Brown feels the balance is right with the Six Nations broadcast on the BBC and ITV" (London DAILY MAIL, 12/9).
The French Football Federation signed an exclusive partnership with China’s NetEase Media Technology. The deal will run through the 2018 World Cup. The internet company will show exclusive content of the French men’s national team including match reviews and player interviews. NetEase will also broadcast all national team press conferences (FFF).
SuperSport renewed its broadcast rights to the Champions League. SuperSport was recently involved in a public tender process and confirmed a three-year partnership with the rights holders. The renewal starts from the '18-19 season. The rights include TV, mobile and internet platforms, and extend across sub-Saharan Africa (SuperSport).
Eleven Sports extended its NBA coverage in Taiwan after agreeing to an improved five-year sublicensing partnership. The new agreement means the NBA will be available on Eleven Sports via cable TV and through Eleven's OTT platform (Eleven Sports).