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Sky Sports apologises for ‘insensitive, regrettable’ remark about Everton’s tribute

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Sky Sports have issued an apology after commentary duo Bill Leslie and Andy Hinchcliffe made ‘insensitive’ remarks during Everton’s defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Toffees boss Sean Dyche was sporting a black armband in tribute to supporter Michael Jones, who died earlier this month while working on the club’s new stadium.

Everton make striker transfer breakthrough for Sean Dyche after Aston Villa loss
Leslie and Hinchcliffe compared Dyche to a ‘croupier’ (casino worker) because of his clothing. All Everton players and staff wore armbands in memory of Jones, with a minute’s applause also held in the 26th minute.

The comparison sparked huge backlash on social media, and both commentators are believed to have expressed regret at their choice of words. Sky Sports claim that they have since been called in for talks and reminded of their ‘responsibilities’.

“Comments made during the Aston Villa v Everton game were insensitive and regrettable,” read the broadcaster’s statement to The Athletic.

“We have spoken to everyone involved in the coverage including both the commentators and have reminded them of their responsibilities and the need for care and sensitivity. We apologise for any upset or distress caused by these comments.”

Everton turned to Dyche in January this year, with the former Burnley boss given the task of keeping them in the Premier League. The Toffees stayed up by just two points last term, with Wolves the only team to score fewer top-flight goals over the course of the campaign.

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How To Stream AC Milan vs Liverpool Match Online For Free

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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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LaLiga Signs 2024-25 Broadcast Deal With China Media Group

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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.

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

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

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.

 

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