Simon and adidas take football experiences to US malls - Simon and adidas are rolling out a summer programme of live football-themed events and in-store activations across select US shopping destinations as both groups chase footfall, brand engagement and incremental retail sales. By Chris Brown
Newcastle United appoint BlueprintX to overhaul data and CRM strategy - Newcastle United have appointed BlueprintX to lead a transformation of their commercial and fan engagement data strategy as the club seek to scale revenues and personalise supporter experiences. By Chris Brown
Zee enters talks with FIFA for India World Cup rights - Zee Entertainment has opened talks with FIFA to secure India’s broadcast and streaming rights for the 2026 World Cup as the rights package remains unresolved weeks before kick-off. By Chris Brown
Apple TV to stream MLS match shot entirely on iPhone 17 Pro - Apple will stream an MLS match produced entirely with iPhone 17 Pro cameras on May 23, turning a live rights window into a global showcase for its device and Apple TV production capabilities. By Chris Brown
Apple Sports expands into 90 new markets ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 - Apple has expanded its Apple Sports app into more than 90 additional markets ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, adding tournament features designed to drive real-time engagement and funnel fans to live viewing options via Apple TV. By Chris Brown
Sky Deutschland extends Premier League rights until 2030–31 - Sky Deutschland has extended its Premier League rights in Germany and Austria until 2030–31, locking in long-term inventory that underpins its football-led subscriber and commercial venue strategy. By Chris Brown
TNT Sports paywalls UEFA finals in UK for first time - TNT Sports will place all three men’s UEFA club finals behind a paywall in the UK, ending a decade-long practice of making the matches free to stream and triggering fresh scrutiny of rights-holder obligations. By Chris Brown
CMG lands cut-price FIFA World Cup rights in China - China Media Group has secured FIFA World Cup media rights for mainland China in a four-tournament package, removing a late-stage broadcast risk and giving FIFA cost certainty in one of its biggest audience markets. By Chris Brown
Cristiano Ronaldo takes stake in LiveModeTV - Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a stake in LiveModeTV as the free-to-view sports streaming business accelerates international expansion ahead of the 2026 World Cup. By Chris Brown
TVNZ and Sky NZ strike World Cup 2026 commercial venue deal - TVNZ and Sky New Zealand have agreed a dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 channel for bars and other commercial venues, giving Sky Sport Venue customers a legal route to show all 104 matches. By Chris Brown
FOX Sports and Cosm bring World Cup 2026 to shared reality venues - FOX Sports and immersive venue operator Cosm will show 40 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in “shared reality” across its Los Angeles, Dallas and new Atlanta sites as an out-of-stadium premium viewing product. By Chris Brown
DAZN lands exclusive Ligue 1 rights in Spain - LFP Media has sold Ligue 1’s Spanish broadcast rights to DAZN on an exclusive multi-year deal, giving the streamer full-season coverage as it deepens its football subscription proposition in Spain. By Chris Brown
Telemundo extends U.S. Soccer Spanish rights until 2030 - U.S. Soccer has extended its Spanish-language media rights deal with NBCUniversal Telemundo until 2030, keeping Telemundo as the exclusive home for its national teams across linear and streaming platforms. By Chris Brown
Angel City FC signs Victory+ regional broadcast partnership - Angel City FC has struck a regional streaming deal with Victory+ that adds six local broadcasts in 2026 and expands distribution options in the greater Los Angeles market. By Chris Brown
Sky targets €1.9bn damages in TIM DAZN Serie A dispute - Sky is seeking up to €1.9bn in damages from Telecom Italia and DAZN over their 2021 Serie A distribution deal, escalating a long-running dispute that has shaped Italy’s pay-TV and streaming rights market. By Spencer Gallagher
BT becomes UEFA EURO 2028 telecommunications partner - BT has signed on as the official telecommunications partner of UEFA EURO 2028, becoming the first national sponsor named for the UK and Ireland-hosted tournament. By Chris Brown
Astro loses Malaysia 2026 FIFA World Cup rights - Malaysia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup media rights have shifted from Astro to a RTM and Unifi TV partnership backed by government funding and a wider free-to-air and streaming distribution plan. By Chris Brown
DFL and DAZN win German court block against livetv.sx - DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and DAZN have secured a German court-ordered block against livetv.sx, a long-running piracy site they describe as the country’s biggest source of illegal sports streams, in a case pursued via Germany’s CUII clearing body. By Chris Brown
Telenet and DAZN agree Belgian football distribution return - Telenet has struck a distribution deal with DAZN that will put Belgian football back on Play Sports from next season, easing a carriage impasse that has depressed reach and value during DAZN’s first year as rights holder. By Chris Brown
LaLiga to close LaLiga+ platform in 2026 - LaLiga will shut down its LaLiga+ streaming platform on June 30, 2026, ending a near-decade direct-to-consumer experiment and pushing its non-football live rights into third-party distribution. By Chris Brown
FIFA faces late World Cup rights gap in India and China - FIFA is still without confirmed 2026 World Cup broadcast agreements in India and China, raising late-stage commercial and operational risk in two of the tournament’s biggest audience markets. By Chris Brown
MLS and KKR form Hometown Soccer Holdings to scale MLS NEXT Pro - UC3 and KKR have launched Hometown Soccer Holdings after naming KKR as a strategic investor in MLS NEXT Pro’s commercial platform ahead of the league’s planned expansion into new markets. By Chris Brown
Viaplay extends UEFA club competition rights until 2031 - Viaplay Group has extended its UEFA club competition rights in Denmark, Norway and Finland until 2031, locking in premium football inventory for the next rights cycle. By Chris Brown