Volleyball World, the commercial body of the sport’s FIVB governing body, has secured long-term coverage for its major competitions in Turkey after renewing and expanding its rights agreement with prominent media operator Saran Media Group.
Under the new agreement, running through 2032, Saran retains exclusive rights in Turkey for Volleyball World’s top indoor competitions, including the men’s and women’s FIVB Volleyball Championships, Volleyball Nations League, and FIVB Club World Championships.
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The deal also sees Saran gain rights to major beach volleyball competitions for the first time, including the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, as well as Beach Pro Tour Elite16 events.
Turkey is a key market for volleyball, with the country consistently hosting major international events and the success of its women’s national team.
Felix von Knorring, Chief Media Officer at Volleyball World, said: “Türkiye is one of the most established and passionate volleyball markets in the world, particularly for the women’s game, and our long-standing partnership with Saran has played an important role in reaching and engaging that audience.
“This long-term extension reflects both the importance of the territory and our shared ambition to continue growing the sport. The addition of beach volleyball is an important step, ensuring consistent visibility for the discipline and strengthening our overall presence in the market for the years ahead.”
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By GlobalDataThe rights add to Saran’s growing sports offering, most recently claiming back exclusive rights to German soccer’s top-tier Bundesliga and second-tier Bundesliga.2 through the 2028-29 season.
Other rights include rights to soccer’s top-tier Premier League (England), LaLiga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), and UEFA national team tournaments for the 2024-28 cycle.
Volleyball World, meanwhile, was launched in early 2021 as a joint venture between FIVB and private equity heavyweights CVC, which acquired a 33% stake in the commercial vehicle worth around $100 million.
At the time of its launch FIVB said would seek “sustainable commercial partnerships that create long-term value across the sport’s global ecosystem.”
Since then, it has worked to expand its global presence through new rights agreements, including with Australian and Slovenian public-service broadcasters SBS and RTV, respectively, as well as the US’ Paramount-owned sports network CBS Sports and Fox-owned Big 10 Network.
In July, Volleyball World struck a new multi-year strategic partnership with Eurovision Services, the leading broadcast services provider with the aim of enhancing its viewing product.
Eurovision Services will serve as the exclusive signal distributor for Volleyball World broadcasts, managing streams globally to over 600 broadcasters, with the aim of ensuring stable and high-quality feeds without interruption.
Last year also saw the body appoint Ugo Valensi as its new chief executive to replace the outgoing Finn Taylor.
The new deal with Saran also comes less than a month after Volleyball World appointed sports agency Red Tiger Marketing to support the development and delivery of its global commercial strategy with a focus on sponsorship, strategic partnerships, and brand-led growth initiatives.
