Eleven Sports

Eleven (formerly Eleven Sports) is a multinational group of sports television channels. Based in the United Kingdom, it is owned by Andrea Radrizzani's Aser Ventures.

Eleven
IndustrySports broadcasting
Founded2015
FounderAndrea Radrizzani
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
Areas served
  • Belgium / Luxembourg
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Myanmar
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Taiwan
  • United States
Owner
Websiteelevensports.com/ 

Eleven Sports' business model initially centred around the acquisition of major international sports rights in smaller countries. The company operates linear television and/or digital services in Belgium, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Myanmar, Taiwan, and the United States.[1]

History

Eleven Sports first launched in Belgium and Luxembourg in 2015 with a linear and OTT service.[2]

In February 2016, Eleven Sports acquired Polish rights to Formula One. In July 2016, Eleven Sports acquired rights to the English Premier League in Taiwan. Both of the properties were marketed by Radrizzani's sister company MP & Silva.[3][4]

On 16 March 2017, Eleven Sports announced that it had acquired "certain distribution assets" of the fledgling U.S. international sports channel One World Sports, which had been replaced by a U.S. version of Eleven Sports Network in advance of the announcement. Financial details of the sale were not disclosed.[5]

In May 2017, Eleven Sports acquired a majority share of Italian provider Sportube, which was renamed in September. As of 2019, it offers pay-per-view basis events, such as Italian Serie C of football, Superliga Argentina and Italian women's volley championship, but also free events to registered users such as Italian waterpolo, handball and selected UEFA Nations League group stage matches.

On 9 January 2018, Eleven announced that it would televise 120 games in the 2017–18 NBA G League season in the United States.[6]

In May 2018, Eleven Sports secured a three-year deal to broadcast La Liga football matches in the UK and Ireland, which had been previously broadcast on Sky Sports.[7] Two months later, they secured exclusive UK three year deals to screen Serie A matches, previously broadcast by BT Sport,[8] the Eredivisie and the Chinese Super League (both previously televised by Sky Sports) and Sweden's Allsvenskan[9] but in January 2019, Eleven Sports dropped its rights to Serie A and Eredivisie football, passing on the rights to Premier Sports. Premier Sports also won the rights to the Chinese Super League and Swedish Allsvenskan, leaving Eleven with exclusive La Liga, Segunda Division play-offs, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa rights until at least the end of the season.[10] Radrizzani later admitted that the attempt to expand into Britain was a "mistake", as it was difficult to compete with or secure cooperation from the existing duopoly of Sky and BT.[11]

Also in May 2018, Eleven sold a 50% stake in its Polish operations to Telewizja Polsat for around €38 million.[12]

In 2018, Eleven Sports launched services in Myanmar under the brand MY Sports, which broadcasts fixtures of Myanmar national team, U-23, U-21, U-18 teams and also exclusively broadcast Myanmar National League, General Aung San Shield, Serie A, FA Cup and Chinese Super League. They also have partnerships with MRTV-4, Channel 7, MRTV, Mizzima TV and Fortune TV for broadcasting football matches under MY Sports.[13]

In March 2019, Eleven renewed its rights to Formula One in Poland through 2022, also sub-licensing highlights to Polsat and race replays to TVP.[14] It also launched services in Japan as its eleventh market, streaming games from NPB Farm League teams with associated digital coverage.[15] In July 2019, nearly the remainder of Eleven Sports Poland was sold to Polsat, with Radrizzani maintaining a single share.[12]

In June 2020, Eleven acquired rights to Pro League, Division B, and Women's Super League football in Belgium through the 2024–25 season, and later announced a partnership with Mediapro for the rights as part of a larger series of projects.[16]

In August 2020, the company announced a repositioning referred to as "Eleven 2.0", including a refocus (initially in Belgium, Italy, and Portugal) to include more "premium" sports rights, and also launching new verticals for women's sports, local sports ("Eleven Next"), and esports. A new logo rebranding the broadcaster as "Eleven" was also introduced.[17][18][19] (This logo is not used in the United States (where the network had already rebranded without the "Eleven" moniker as For the Fans in 2019) abd Japan.)[20]

Channels and divisions
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gollark: <@166910808305958914> That language is underspecified and awfully apioformic.

References
  1. "SVG Sit-Down: Eleven Sports Managing Director Danny Menken on the Launch of America's Newest Sports Network". Sports Video Group. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  2. "Scoring OTT goals with sports broadcasting". IBC 365.
  3. "Eleven Sports Network picks up Premier League in Taiwan". SportsPro. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  4. "Eleven Sports Network pockets F1 rights from MP & Silva". SportsPro. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  5. "Eleven Sports Buys One World Assets". Multichannel News. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  6. "NBA's G League announces broadcast partnership with Eleven Sports". USA Today. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  7. "La Liga: Eleven Sports gain TV rights from Sky in three-year deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  8. "Serie A: Eleven Sports gain TV rights from BT in three-year deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  9. "Eleven Sports scoops up UK Eredivisie and other football rights". a516digital.com. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  10. Eleven Sports to lose some football rights; Premier Sports steps in
  11. "Eleven Sports UK launch "a mistake", admits Radrizzani". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  12. "Polsat completes Eleven Sports Network takeover in Poland". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  13. "Eleven Sports to launch service in Myanmar". Digital TV Europe. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  14. "Eleven Sports extends Polish F1 rights through 2022". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  15. "Eleven continues global expansion with Japan streaming service". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  16. "Eleven joins forces with Mediapro for Belgian Pro League coverage". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  17. "Eleven joins forces with Mediapro for Belgian Pro League coverage". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  18. "Eleven expanding women's sports, esports and digital efforts as part of rebrand". SportsPro. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  19. "Eleven unveils rebrand and trio of programming verticals". SportBusiness. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  20. Notice on Eleven Sports USA's official Instagram page, October 10, 2019
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