Liverpool "emphatically denied claims made by TalkSport" that the radio station will broadcast the club's Champions League home game with Bundesliga side Hoffenheim on Wednesday following a "supposed exclusivity agreement over live commentary." TalkSport was bought by News Corp. last year, the same organization that owns The Sun, a newspaper that was banned from Anfield in February (London INDEPENDENT, 8/22).
Europa League games "will continue to be shown on free-to-air TV in Austria." Commercial broadcaster Puls 4 obtained the TV rights from UEFA for the '18-19, '19-20 and '20-21 seasons. Financial details were not disclosed. The channel, part of media group ProSiebenSat.1, has shown the Europa League since '15 (BROADBAND TV NEWS, 8/22).
Sport1 announced a partnership with gaming league ESL to bring esports events to German TV. The partnership will feature a broadcast of ESL One Hamburg on free-TV across Germany. The event is a "Dota 2 major tournament" with a $1M prize pool, which begins on Oct. 28. The deal also means Sport1 "will broadcast other ESL events." These include the finals of the ESL Summer Championship and ESL Winter Championship (ESPORTS OBSERVER, 8/21).
