ITV extends deal to show Prem Rugby games to 2028 - report
UNITED KINGDOM 09:58

ITV extends deal to show Prem Rugby games to 2028 - report

UK broadcaster ITV has agreed a new deal to continue showing live Prem Rugby matches until 2028, reports UK newspaper 'The Telegraph'. Under the terms of this new deal, ITV will show seven live games, including the final on ITV1, for the 2027 and 2028 seasons - with an option for a further extension to 2029. 

Sky Sports to remain exclusive UK broadcaster for Master Tournament
UNITED KINGDOM 09:51

Sky Sports to remain exclusive UK broadcaster for Master Tournament

Sky Sports has signed a new multi-year deal with Augusta National Gold Club for Sky Sports and NOW to remain the exclusive home of the Masters Tournament in the UK and Ireland. The extended agreement will see around 20 percent more live coverage on Sky Sports across the tournament. Sky Sports will also broadcast the Master Par 3 Contest, Augusta National Women's Amateur, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and Latin America Amateur Championship under the new deal. The 2026 Masters takes place on 06-12 April. 

DAZN secures rights to broadcast Euro, World Cup matches in DACH region
GERMANY 09:28

DAZN secures rights to broadcast Euro, World Cup matches in DACH region

DAZN said it has secured the broadcasting rights for the UEFA Nations League, including the Nations League Finals, and qualifier matches for the Euro 2028 men's football competition in the UK and Ireland, as well as the men's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, and selected international friendly matches. The sports streaming service will broadcast the matches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. DAZN is extending its current contract to broadcast football matches from major international competitions f

Nigerian govt plans to launch two new communication satellites
NIGERIA 08:48

Nigerian govt plans to launch two new communication satellites

The government has announced plans to replace the NigComSat-1R communications satellite with two new ones, The Guardian reported. ICT minister Bosun Tijani said the investment is part of a broader push to close connectivity gaps and aligns with the broader National Broadband Plan (2020–2025). A Request for Proposal (RFP) has already been issued to attract global manufacturers and service providers to partner on the construction and launch, the report says.

Rocket Lab launches STP-S30 mission for US government
UNITED STATES 05:21

Rocket Lab launches STP-S30 mission for US government

Rocket Lab successfully launched the STP-S30 mission for the US Space Force's (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) – completing the launch five months ahead of schedule. The launch, named 'Don't Be Such A Square', lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia on 18 December to deploy four DiskSat spacecraft to a 550 km low Earth orbit for Department of War's (DoW) Space Test Program (STP).

4ka offers free pay-TV channels over holidays
SLOVAKIA 18 DEC

4ka offers free pay-TV channels over holidays

Slovak operator 4ka is offering dozens of premium TV channels free for subscribers until 06 January. The list includes film channels AMC, Film+, Filmbox, Filmbox Extra, Filmbox Family, Filmbox Premium, Filmbox Stars, Epic Drama, True Crime; sport channels Sport 1, Sport 2, FightBox; lifestyle channels Paprika TV, Spektrum Home, Food Network, TLC, FashionBox; children's channels JimJam, Minimax, Nick, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon; documentary channels Spektrum, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Investigation Discov

Telefonica offers free access to premium TV channels over festive period
SPAIN 18 DEC

Telefonica offers free access to premium TV channels over festive period

Telefonica Spain has launched a new festive offer to promote its premium TV channels, gifting access to several over the festive season. All Movistar Plus+ subscribers will automatically receive free access to a selection of channels from the company's premium packs, including sports, movie and series channels.

Danish govt denies wanting to ban VPN use
DENMARK 18 DEC

Danish govt denies wanting to ban VPN use

The Ministry of Culture said is it is removing references to the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) from a bill intended to tackle online piracy, particularly illegal streaming of football matches. Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said he does not favour making VPN use illegal and has never proposed to, but he admits that the bill was not formulated precisely enough. The ministry will look at the proposal on online piracy and investigate whether it can be adjusted and sent for consultation again at a later

Ovzon wins another SEK 58 mln terminals contract from Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
SWEDEN 18 DEC

Ovzon wins another SEK 58 mln terminals contract from Swedish Defence Materiel Administration

Ovzon said it has won another contract worth SEK 58 million from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for mobile satellite terminals for delivery during the first half of 2026. These terminals are fully compatible with the satellite network services that Ovzon provides to FMV and also with Ovzon 3's unique On-Board-Processor, which enables direct communication between terminals without the need for ground-based infrastructure. The order complements the SEK 1.04 billion contract signed with FMV

Orange Spain to air 2026 Spanish Super Cup at no extra cost
SPAIN 18 DEC

Orange Spain to air 2026 Spanish Super Cup at no extra cost

Orange Spain said it has reached a deal to broadcast the forthcoming Spanish Super Cup competition live from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) at no extra cost to all TV subscribers. The four-team tournament will be available from 07 to 11 January to Orange TV customers with football included in their plans and those subscribed to the Orange TV Libre service.

CRTC improves programme accessibility for Canadians with visual impairment
CANADA 18 DEC

CRTC improves programme accessibility for Canadians with visual impairment

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecoms Commission (CRTC) has announced changes to the Broadcasting Act to improve programme accessibility for blind and partially sighted Canadians relying on described video and audio description services. This follows a public consultation on how to make TV and online content more accessible.

Astro launches Christmas campaign for Malaysian households
MALAYSIA 18 DEC

Astro launches Christmas campaign for Malaysian households

Malaysian pay-TV operator Astro has launched its year-end holiday campaign designed to provide a unified viewing experience for Malaysian households. This season, the broadcaster is emphasizing shared family moments through a curated lineup of festive programming, featuring dedicated Christmas titles on Astro Showcase, HITS, and BBC Lifestyle beginning 24 December. Alongside these seasonal specials, Astro continues to offer a range of live sports and children's content, all accessible through a single platf

GLOBAL 18 DEC

Aferian expects FY sales in line with projections, up 20%

B2B video technology vendor Aferian said in a trading update it anticipates a full-year turnover of USD 31.5 million for its fiscal 2025 period ended 30 November. This would represent a 20 percent lift from FY24, in line with its forecast, and is driven by strong sales in its Amino business, including higher pay TV order volumes from existing clients and new deployments in the enterprise and digital signage categories, as well as a slight increase in advance orders for FY26. The firm's 24i segment has exper

GLOBAL 18 DEC

SES credit rating downgraded at Moody's on concerns over operating performance

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the senior debt ratings of satellite operator SES from Baa3 to Ba1, assigning a stable outlook. The agency also issued a Ba2 baseline credit assessment and a Ba1-PD probability of default rating. The downgrade from Baa3 follows the release of SES' financial results for the nine months to September. Moody's noted that pro-forma operating performance (assuming full consolidation of Intelsat) was materially weaker than expected, and is likely to remain subdued in the fo

NETHERLANDS 18 DEC

Dutch pay-TV revenues fall after two years of inflation-driven growth

The pay-TV market has entered a downturn in the Netherlands, after two years of revenue growth driven by inflation-based price increases. Annual revenues in 2025 are forecast to fall 0.5 percent to EUR 1.75 billion. The contraction will continue through 2029, with an average annual drop of 1.2 percent, according to the latest research from Telecompaper. 

ITALY 18 DEC

Dazn Italia debuts new WBD entertainment and Eurosport channels

Sports streaming service Dazn has announced the launch of new entertainment content and Eurosport channels on its Italian services following the expanded deal reached with Warner Bros Discovery earlier this year. As a result, all subscribers, even those on free accounts, can now access the live free-to-air channels Nove, Real Time, DMAX and Discovery Channel via the new "Entertainment" section of the Dazn app.

UNITED STATES 18 DEC

YouTube acquires global rights to show Oscars live

YouTube has acquired exclusive rights to stream the Oscars awards ceremony live, worldwide, from 2029 through 2033. The multi-year contract was announced by the Oscars organiser, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This replaces an existing global agreement with Disney and its ABC channel in the US, which ends in 2028. 

ASIA 18 DEC

Samsung TV Plus celebrates first anniversary in SEA, adds 13 channels to platform

Samsung TV Plus, Samsung's free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service, is celebrating its first anniversary in Southeast Asia with the addition of 13 new channels (10 from A+E Global Media and three from wedotv) to the platform. Since its launch, Samsung TV Plus has been delivering access to live TV channels across entertainment, news, movies and more via Samsung Smart TVs across the region. The platform in Southeast Asia currently offers 230 channels, which represents a 6-fold increase from the 20 chann

UNITED STATES 17 DEC

Optimum criticises Tegna fee demands ahead of Nexstar merger

Optimum has criticised Tegna, the broadcast provider behind certain local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC-affiliated stations and the CW, for pursuing what it calls "egregious" fee increases of 30 percent for major network affiliates and a 50 percent for the CW. It said Tegna's demands are directly linked to its coming merger with Nexstar, adding that the broadcasting industry is "rapidly contracting into a duopoly". Optimum's negotiations with Tegna and Nexstar expire just one week apart. 

BRAZIL 17 DEC

Brazil to provide up to USD 500 million funding for TV 3.0

Brazil's External Financing Commission (Cofiex) has approved a request from the Ministry of Communications to secure up to USD 500 million (BRL 2.7 billion) in financing for the implementation of TV 3.0. The financing, to be structured with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), will allow broadcasters to begin the transition to a new digital television standard, DTV+.

ANGOLA 17 DEC

Angola opens new hub for Angosat-2 satellite

Angola has opened a new hub for its Angosat-2 satellite, located at the Satellite Control and Mission Centre (MCC) in Funda, reported Jornal de Angola. It will provide direct and easy access to Angosat-2's capabilities for telecommunications operators, start-ups, and small and medium-sized businesses. The initiative aims to expand connectivity, supporting business models using VSAT terminals for remote connectivity.

SLOVAKIA 17 DEC

4ka to offer digital TV services from January with Towercom

Slovakia's Swan and Towercom announced a strategic cooperation. The operator 4ka, controlled by Swan, will offer a TV solution covering 97 percent of the population of Slovakia from January, using Towercom's terrestrial broadcasting infrastructure. The new service is called '4ka TV via Antenna', available to households throughout Slovakia without the need for the internet.

EUROPE 17 DEC

Ariane 6 rocket launches 2 more Galileo satellites

Two Galileo satellites lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana aboard an Ariane 6 rocket on 17 December, marking the fourteenth Galileo constellation launch, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). It said SAT 33 and SAT 34 were launched at 06:01 CET and separated from the launcher after a flight of less than four hours. At 10:51 CET, the launch was declared successful.

PORTUGAL 17 DEC

Portugal pay-TV market grows only 0.7% in Q3

The pay-TV market in Portugal saw a modest 0.7 percent increase in the third quarter of 2025, reaching 4.7 million subscribers, according to the latest data from Anacom. The vast majority (98.3%) of subscribers opted for pay-TV as part of a package deal rather than as a standalone service. Fibre (FTTH/B) was still the preferred delivery technology, accounting for 69.2 percent of subscribers and growing by 5.9 percent year-over-year. 

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Commentary

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Video market set for slower growth ahead

11:38

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15:26

Stock markets breaking records but what happened to Odido's IPO plans?

Background

01:04

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation

01:39

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold

13:51

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash

14:16

Proximus Domestic still struggling with low margins