Sports TV Biz - ESPN Secures International Rights for Euroleague Basketball

Monday May 1, 2006

Begins with Euroleague Final Prague 2006

ESPN has reached a new multi-year agreement with Euroleague Properties through the league's agency Media Pro for expansive international rights to Euroleague Basketball - Europe's premier club basketball league - that began with the 2006 Euroleague Semi-Finals and Final in Prague on April 28-30.

Under terms of the agreement, ESPN will be the exclusive cable and satellite broadcaster of Euroleague Basketball through 2010 in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Africa. The agreement calls for ESPN International to televise no less than 25 games per season, including regular season, playoffs, and finals.

"We are pleased to have reached this agreement for Euroleague Basketball," said Tim Bunnell, senior vice president of programming and marketing, ESPN International.

"As the popularity of the sport of basketball continues to increase throughout the world, the extensive distribution of our ESPN international networks provides the Euroleague with a vehicle to reach its growing fan base. In turn, the agreement provides our fans with access to premier basketball competition in an era where European players and clubs are on the rise," he added.

"Euroleague Basketball has transformed itself into a competition of the highest standard in the panorama of world sports. We find ourselves in a moment of tremendous expansion, during which we are seeking the maximum reach possible for our basketball, and this agreement with ESPN is a definitive step on that road," said Jordi Bertomeu, Chief Executive Officer of the Euroleague Basketball.

He then noted, "ESPN allows us to realize our dream of having our games available to massive audiences on five continents. We have to feel satisfied and keep working in the right direction to amplify our fan base to its maximum."

The Euroleague Final: Prague 2006 from Sazka Arena featured two semifinal games on April 28 between 2005 Euroleague champions Maccabi Elite of Israel and Tau Ceramica of Spain; and Winterhur FC Barcelona of Spain and CSKA Moscow of Russia.

Beginning with the 2006-07 season, which runs from November through April, ESPN will telecast weekly regular-season games and all the rounds of playoffs, culminating with the Final Four competition.

The Euroleague is comprised of 24 teams divided into three groups. The top five teams from each group plus a single best sixth place team advance to the playoffs.

Rosters include many national team stars and NBA prospects, such as Luis Scola of Argentina, Anthony Parker and Trajan Langdon of the U.S.

NBA stars who have shined in the Euroleague include San Antonio Spurs Manu Ginobili, 2001 Final Four MVP; Milwaukee Bucks Toni Kukoc, Final Four MVP in 1990, 1991 and 1993.

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