Advanced Television

Rights

Facebook goes to Hollywood

Social network giant Facebook is in discussions with Hollywood studios and agencies with a view to producing TV-quality shows targeting the launch of original programming by late summer 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal. In meetings with major talent agencies including Creative Artists Agency, United Talent Agency, William Morris Endeavor and International Creative Management […]

June 26, 2017By Colin Mann

Discovery, TIM Olympic mobile service

Discovery Communications and Italian telco TIM have revealed what they say is a first of its kind Olympic Games partnership, bringing the Games to more people across more screens. In the first of these digitally-focused deals offering exclusive and differentiated content to mobile operators across Europe, TIM’s customers will gain exclusive access and will be […]

June 26, 2017

Watchdog relaxes Canal+ rights restraints

France’s Autorité de la concurrence (Competition Authority) has relaxed certain obligations imposed on the Canal+ Group which will allow it to distribute a ‘premium’ channel such as beIN Sports, exclusively in its bundles. The Authority also lifted existing restrictions on the purchase of rights to American films, while maintaining the constraints imposed on Canal+ for […]

June 23, 2017By Colin Mann and Chris Forrester

Europol, EUIPO call for concerted anti-piracy action

Europol and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) have called for concerted, cross-border action in response to intellectual property crime. The call follows the publication of the 2017 Situation Report on Counterfeiting and Piracy in the European Union, a joint project between the two bodies. The report establishes that organised criminal groups are involved […]

June 23, 2017By Colin Mann

Pubs fined for illegal Sky use

Following successful legal action taken by Sky, licensees in the Scottish towns of Coatbridge and Doune have been found to be infringing Sky’s copyright by showing Sky Sports programming illegally in their premises. Sky sought and was awarded permanent interdicts in the Court of Session, Edinburgh, which prevents the licensees and anyone acting on their […]

June 23, 2017By Colin Mann

3 sentenced in multi-million IP fraud

Three men have been sentenced at Inner London Crown Court for providing illegal access to copyrighted content such as films, music, books and games which cost the industry more than £2.5 million (€2.84m). This follows a four-year investigation by the City of London Police and intellectual property protection organisation FACT. Eric Brooks, 43, from Bolton, […]

June 23, 2017By Colin Mann

Netflix acquires Dynasty reboot

Netflix has acquired the global rights to The CW’s forthcoming Dynasty reboot for all international territories outside of the US. Each episode will be available on the streaming service 24 hours after it has aired in the US when the show launches this autumn. Dynasty was a popular soap opera in 1980s that saw two […]

June 23, 2017

Liberty: “Sky F1 paywall damaging the sport”

F1’s new owners, Liberty Media, believe the UK TV rights deal they have inherited from the previous management, led by Bernie Ecclestone, is damaging to the sport – with Sky’s coverage entirely immersed behind a paywall from 2019 to 2024. Sean Bratches, the MD of commercial operations for the Formula One Group, sees FTA television as […]

June 22, 2017

Teleclub, Discovery extend Bundesliga deal

Teleclub and Discovery Networks Deutschland have announced an extension of their long-term partnership by adding exclusive broadcasting rights for the Bundesliga. All Bundesliga games for the 2017/18 season included in the specific rights package Eurosport holds for Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be shown as part of the Teleclub platform offer only. Eurosport will broadcast […]

June 22, 2017

Sky Italia wins UEFA rights deal

Hot on the heels of its German counterpart’s success, Sky Italia has secured exclusive live rights to all UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches from the 2018/19 season through to 2020/21, significantly strengthening Sky’s position as the leading sports content provider in Italy. The rights had previously been held by Mediaset. Sky has acquired […]

June 15, 2017