Content Service Providers Score Rights to Live Sports Coverage

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    Image via Latinstock
    Image via Latinstock

    APEX Insight: Live sports content is a hot ticket item for content service providers and airline customers, particularly due to its wide appeal.

    Sports content licensing agreements are the name of the game these days for live channels, with the likes of IMG Media and Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) securing big money distribution rights to live sports content. IMG yesterday announced that is has secured a renewal of its in-flight media rights deal with Deutsche Fußball Liga to screen live and non-live coverage of German football league matches on its Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra channels, exclusively available on Panasonic’s eXConnect in-flight Ku-band communications service. The agreement follows deals to screen live NHL and World Cup of Hockey 2016 coverage and this past summer’s Olympics.

    Earlier this month, GEE entered into a three-year contract with Lagardère Sports and Entertainment that gives the in-flight entertainment provider access to over 10,000 hours of live and produced sports content including soccer, athletics, tennis, swimming, golf, rugby and basketball. Speaking about GEE’s recent win, senior vice-president of Content Distribution and Purchasing Jim Griffiths noted that sports content is ideal for in-flight audiences, as it appeals to a wide audience. As the deals keep rolling in, content service providers can rest assured that sports coverage will forever be a fan favorite.