Ebu Renews European Athletics Deal
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has extended its TV rights contract with European Athletics for a further four years until 2011.
Under the deal, the EBU has the rights to cover all of European Athletics’ major events in this period, including two European Athletics Indoor Championships (Torino 2009 and Paris 2011); the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona; European Athletics Team Championships (Portugal 2009, venues to be confirmed for 2010 and 2011); SPAR European Cross Country Championships (Brussels 2008, Dublin 2009, venues to be confirmed for 2010 and 2011); and the European Athletics Indoor Cup in 2010.
The rights will be automatically distributed to the EBU member bodies in each individual region with the majority being free-to-air broadcasters.
The EBU is the largest association of national broadcasters in the world with 75 active members and 45 associate members and has partnered European Athletics since 1981.
By collectively bidding for rights on behalf of its members, the EBU has been able to hold a stronger bidding position during rights tender processes.
BBC and ITV are members of the EBU in the UK with the former the likely destination of the rights to the European Athletics events.
