The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the continent’s association of public-service broadcasters, has extended its significant rights tie-up with the European Athletics governing body.
Through a contract renewal unveiled today, the EBU's members will continue to provide free-to-air (FTA) coverage of a wide range of European Athletics events until the end of 2031.
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The current tie-up between the two parties, announced in August 2018, runs through the 2020-27 cycle.
The EBU has also said that 30 of its members have already signed up and confirmed that they will cover European Athletics events through 2031.
Specifically, the list of tournaments and competitions includes the European Athletics Championships in 2028 and 2030, and the 2029 and 2031 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Overall, the EBU and European Athletics have been in partnership since 1981, with this latest deal thus taking the tie-up to 50 years in length.
Glen Killane, EBU Sport's executive director, has said: "This renewed agreement is a testament to the long-standing collaboration between the EBU and European Athletics, and ensures that fans across Europe will continue to enjoy comprehensive free-to-air coverage of the continent’s premier athletics events through the unrivalled reach and expertise of EBU members."
In addition to its member broadcasters providing FTA coverage, the EBU's own Eurovision Sport streaming platform will cover these events – both live and on-demand – for subscribers around the world.
As well as this, the EBU's production partner, Actua Sport, will act as host broadcaster "for many European Athletics events."
Christian Milz, chief executive at European Athletics, added: "The EBU has delivered world-class coverage of our events for decades, creating a model that serves athletes, broadcasters and fans.
"By the start of the next cycle, this partnership will have delivered 27 European Athletics Indoor Championships, 15 European Athletics Championships, and 32 SPAR European Cross Country Championships. That will be a total of 74 major events by the time the new contract begins."
In terms of recent EBU activity, mid-April saw the umbrella body snap up rights in a number of major European markets to soccer's 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The deal will ensure free-to-air WWC coverage across the following territories: Czechia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Malta, Belgium, Spain, Slovakia, Iceland, Sweden, Ukraine, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, and Finland.
