Media

Religion of Sports, Fox Sports Films sign documentary deal

Published

1 year ago

July 12, 2023

FOX Sports Films announces it is partnering with Religion of Sports to co-produce new and original sports documentaries. This collaboration will provide audiences with an insider perspective into some of the most iconic sports stories in history and the legendary athletes behind them.

The first film to debut as part of the new deal, Baseball’s Greatest Moments with The Kid Mero: The MLB All-Star Game, premieres, Monday, July 10 at 11:00 PM ET on FS1 on the eve of FOX Sports’ exclusive presentation of the 2023 MLB All-Star Game Tuesday, July 11 (coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET on FOX). The one-hour documentary brings together the unforgettable moments and fascinating stories from past MLB All-Star Games that have defined professional baseball over its 120-year history.

“FOX Sports is excited about collaborating with Religion of Sports to spotlight captivating sports stories that are deeply ingrained in the heart of American culture,” says Barry Nugent, Vice President, Development and Original Programming, FOX Sports. “These new films will feature the renowned legends and intense rivalries that have thrilled fans for generations.”

Hosted by famed writer and comedian The Kid Mero (“Desus & Mero”), Baseball’s Greatest Moments with The Kid Mero: The MLB All-Star Game will transport audiences through time to relive the 10 greatest and most compelling moments within the history of the Midsummer Classic. Through rare archival footage and engaging commentary, The Kid Mero brings humor and fanatic expertise to immerse the viewer into MLB history, breaking down stories and providing fresh insight into key plays and players from the most memorable moments in the game.

“ROS has built a foundation around storytelling and this deal marks new and exciting territory for the company,” says Ameeth Sankaran, CEO of Religion of Sports. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with FOX Sports.”

Pairing Religion of Sports’ content engine with FOX Sports’ distribution platform was a natural fit to reach more fans than ever before. Details on the additional documentaries FOX Sports Films and Religion of Sports are co-producing as part of the deal will be announced at a later date.

FOX Sports and Religion of Sports are building off their successful releases of both The Great Brady Heist and Searching For Shohei: An Interview Special featuring FOX Sports’ baseball personality and star of the podcast FLIPPIN’ BATS, Ben Verlander, who sat down for an all-access, in-depth conversation with baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani.

Baseball’s Greatest Moments with The Kid Mero: The MLB All-Star Game is executive produced by Gotham Chopra, Ameeth Sankaran, and Victor Buhler of Religion of Sports. Eric Shanks, Mark Silverman, Charlie Dixon and Barry Nugent from FOX Sports also serve as executive producers. The film is co-produced by FOX Sports Films, Religion of Sports, and MLB and is directed by Bradley Jackson.

FOX Sports Films is dedicated to presenting captivating global sports documentaries through an unconventional and entertaining lens. Working with FOX Sports’ league and conference partners, the brand produces original programming, connecting live sports events to sports culture.

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Ambrose Ijeh

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How To Stream AC Milan vs Liverpool Match Online For Free

Published

2 months ago

September 17, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

How To Stream AC Milan vs Liverpool Match Online For Free

An online streaming service has exclusive rights to the big Champions League match – but it’s easy to watch it for free.

Liverpool will be returning to the Champions League on Tuesday night, hoping to get back to winning ways on the opening night of the new campaign, facing old foes AC Milan.

The side, who previously faced Milan in the 2005 and 2007, suffered a 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, so they will be hoping to get back to winning ways this week.

However, Milan have also had a tumultuous ride so far, with the team currently in 9th after four games, despite a solid 4-0 win over Venezia at the weekend.

It’s shaping up to be a thrilling match, then, with both teams having plenty to prove, and you can watch it for free on Amazon Prime Video.

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Ambrose Ijeh

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LaLiga Signs 2024-25 Broadcast Deal With China Media Group

Published

2 months ago

September 11, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

LaLiga Signs 2024-25 Broadcast Deal With China Media Group

Spanish soccer’s top-tier LaLiga has unveiled state-run China Media Group (CMG) as its official broadcast partner in the country.

Through a deal announced today, CMG returns as a Chinese broadcaster of the 20-team Spanish league.

The tie-up has come with the 2024-25 campaign already four matchdays in and follows a memorandum of understanding between the two parties in late July.

Last season (2023-24), LaLiga action was shown in China by the Migu streaming service, while rights for 2024-25 have also been snapped up by the iQiyi digital broadcaster.

Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, has said: “China remains a key market for LaLiga, and we are thrilled to bring our league’s unique passion and excitement to Chinese fans through one of the most influential media platforms in the country.”

Over the last few weeks, LaLiga has been scrambling to add more partners to its stable of broadcasters for this season.

Earlier this month, a significant deal across numerous African markets was unveiled with SportyTV, while mid-August saw BeIN Sports extend its exclusive rights deals across the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Domestically, DAZN and Movistar are the main rights-holders through deals running between 2022 and 2027.

Sportcal

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Ambrose Ijeh

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Belgium’s Pro League Launches Five-Season Domestic Rights Tender

Published

2 months ago

September 11, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

Belgian soccer’s top-tier Pro League has gone to market with a domestic media rights tender for the five seasons between 2025 and 2030.

The tender was launched recently (September 9), and the Pro League is being strategically supported by the heavyweight IMG agency – through a deal unveiled last October – during the process.

The deadline for prospective rights-holders to submit bids is October 16, with a Pro League general assembly to then evaluate the bids on October 18.

Interested parties can obtain the tender documents by contacting tender2025@proleague.be.

The 16-team Pro League’s domestic and international rights are currently held by global sports streaming service DAZN – which acquired previous rights-holder Eleven Sports in 2023 – in a five-year deal running through the 2024-25 season. Eleven tapped sports agency Mediapro to distribute international rights in partnership with the league.

In total, eight rights packages are available for purchase – three specifically for the Pro League (others cover the second-tier Challenger Pro League and various domestic cup competitions).

A new development in this tender is that the packages are platform-neutral, meaning they cover both linear and streaming rights.

In terms of kick-off times for games across the five seasons covered by the tender, meanwhile, the Pro League has said these “remain virtually unchanged.”

IMG, meanwhile, also has a contract in place to collect and commercialize the Pro League’s fastpath data in a five-year agreement with European Leagues running from 2022-23 to 2027-28.