China's Super Sports Media Acquires UEFA Nations League Rights

UEFA "wasted no time" securing its first media deals for its newly-announced Nations League competition with China’s Super Sports Media "stepping up to acquire exclusive digital media rights to the competition in China" for the '18-19 and '20-21 editions of the competition, according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. The Nations League will "replace the bulk" of the int'l friendlies currently played in Europe with a competition format that "will see the nations of similar ability play against each other more often." The competition, beginning in '18, will divide the 55 UEFA nations into four leagues with each league divided into three- or four-team groups. Each league "will culminate with a semifinal and final with the winner of each securing a spot" at Euro 2020. No value has been given for the Super Sports rights acquisition (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 9/25).