A pick of the latest international sport production and broadcast stories
Wimbledon agrees Tencent digital rights deal
Tencent has acquired the Chinese digital and social media broadcast rights for Wimbledon until 2027, after a deal facilitated by IMG. Tencent Video, Tencent Sports, WeChat, Tencent News, qq.com, and QQ will bring the tennis tournament live to Chinese viewers, as well as match replays, on-demand viewing, and highlights.
Paul Davies, associate director of broadcast, production and media rights at the All England Club, which stages The Championships, said: “We are delighted to be working with Tencent to showcase all the thrilling action from Wimbledon to tennis fans in China. Led by Olympic gold medalist and Grand Slam finalist Zheng Qinwen, China has a host of rising tennis talent looking to make their mark on tour. Whether it is live broadcast, match replays, highlights or features, Tencent’s multimedia platforms will ensure fans won’t miss a moment of their favourite players at Wimbledon.”
Jeff Han, VP of Tencent online video, said: “An increasing number of people in China are paying attention to and participating in tennis. The cooperation between the All England Club and Tencent will help drive a new wave of tennis enthusiasm. We hope that through the broadcast of Wimbledon and high-quality content, more users will be able to experience the charm of this century-old tournament up close.”
DAZN extends Germany & Austria UFC rights
DAZN will continue to show UFC in Germany and Austria, after a “multi-year” extension.
As well as showing all UFC Fight Nights and numbered events, DAZN will also broadcast shoulder content such as The Ultimate Fighter, previews, reviews, highlights, interviews, press conferences, and weigh-ins. Sebastian Hackl, Mark Bergmann, Andreas Kraniotakes, and Elias Stefanescu will commentate, supported by former UFC fighter Peter Sobotta.
DAZN has shown UFC in Germany and Austria since 2018, and also holds Champions League and Bundesliga rights in Germany.
World Surf League partners with LTN
The World Surf League has expanded its partnership with LTN to include remote production, monetisation and distribution on a wider number of events.
The pair deliver over 1,000 hours of live content per year from the World Surf League’s flagship Championship Tour and events including the Challenger Series, Longboard Tour, Qualifying Series, and Pro Junior series. This content is distributed via the World Surf League’s digital platforms, social media, and broadcast and streaming partners — including expanded coverage on ESPN+ in the US and Disney+ in Latin America and the Caribbean.
LTN’s IP video distribution technologies, including live video acquisition, routing, ad signaling, master control and playout, as well as its live event versioning solution, LTN Arc, are used by the federation.
Image: World Surf League/Run Amuck Photography
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