A selection of international stories from around the sport content industry
Overnght acquires Boat Race rights
Streaming platform Overnght has acquired the rihts to show the Boat Race in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand until the end of 2030.
It will deliver live and on-demand coverage of the annual rowing event, which takes place on 4 April this year. The deal was brokered by TCB Sport Media.
Siobhan Cassidy, chair of The Boat Race Company, said “With nearly 200 years of rivalry and counting, we are always searching for ways to bring our iconic London event to new audiences. Working with Overnght enables us to do just that and we are thrilled to enable Boat Race fans across the world to enjoy the race on 4 April 2026, and beyond.”
“This partnership represents a significant milestone in Overnght’s mission to expand global access to the world’s most prestigious Olympic sporting events,” said Kevin McReynolds, Founder and CEO of Overnght. “The Boat Race embodies excellence, tradition, and competition at the highest level. We are honored to become the exclusive international streaming partner across our territories through 2030 and look forward to introducing this iconic event to new audiences while preserving its extraordinary legacy.”
Channel 4 is showing the race in the UK for the first time this year, and Broadcast Sport recently spoke to Cassidy, Channel 4 head of sport Pete Andrews and production company Filmnova’s managing director Phil Sibson about the plans.
Roland-Garros eSeries wins broadcast deal
The Roland-Garros eSeries, the tennis tournament’s esports event, will be shown on France TV’s digital platform.
In addition, English-language coverage will be available on the tennis major’s YouTube channel, with Laure Valée, an iconic eSports presenter, as host of the Final Stage. Both France TV and the YouTube channel will be showing the final stage of the competition, which last year saw more than 515,000 players from 221 territories competing in a total of 9.5 million matches held on the virtual Philippe-Chatrier Court.
Tennis Clash, developed by Wildlife Studios, remains the tournament’s official mobile game in a new deal until the end of 2030.
Three open qualifying stages, organised between March and April, will give players all over the world the opportunity to compete for a spot among the eight finalists. The three qualified competitors will be joined in the Final Stage by the top female players from the two first Open Qualifiers, alongside the two finalists of the Grand Tour - the circuit reserved for the best Tennis Clash players - as well as defending champion Samuel Sanin Ortiz of Colombia, known as “Sasmis”.
The Final Stage will take place on 23 May.
Two Circles advises HockeyAllsvenskan broadcast deal
HockeyAllsvenskan has agreed a new broadcast deal with Swedish broadcaster TV 4 until the end of the 2029/30 season.
This extends a partnership that began in 2015, and the second tier ice hockey competition was advised by agency Two Circles.
Niclas Fröberg, chairman at HockeyAllsvenskan, said: “We’re very pleased to continue our partnership with TV4. In the current market for sports rights, being able to secure the strongest deal in the league’s history speaks to the strength of Swedish ice hockey and the work our clubs have put in over the past years. It secures the financial foundation for our clubs while making the league more accessible for fans across Sweden.”
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