Viewing figures for ITV's first year carrying horse racing showed "the impact that the channel has made in the first 12 months of its four-year contract to cover the sport." Every Festival "bar the Grand National has shown an upswing in ratings, compared with those on Channel 4." ITV "is adamant, however, that the drop in viewers for the world’s most famous race was because of hot weather." The channel finished '17 "on a high," with figures for the year’s last broadcast, from Newbury on ITV4, "matching those from its first show at Cheltenham on the main channel on New Year’s Day" (LONDON TIMES, 1/1).
Channels under the Discovery and Eurosport banner "will remain on DNA" after an agreement was reached between the channels and the Finnish operator. Their distribution "had been put at risk" after the latest Discovery carriage fee standoff. The new agreement covers terrestrial, cable, IPTV and mobile distribution (BROADBAND TV NEWS, 12/30).
Mediaset España will not broadcast Copa del Rey matches when the tournament resumes on Wednesday, "as it believes the agreed upon terms are not being met." Its deal with rights holder Mediapro included coverage of two round of 16 games, two quarterfinal games and four games in the two-legged semifinals (MARCA, 1/2).
