That was quick: The United States Olympic Committee announced this morning that it will launch a cable TV network devoted to Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, along with Comcast (NSDQ: CMCSA) who will carry it in its lineup. Comcast is an equity partner in the channel. And soon after…

ESPN (NYSE: DIS) is planning to revamp ESPNSoccernet and its other sports sites to coincide with the launch of its first European sports channel next month. The sports network won the rights to show 46 live English Premier League matches next season after Irish pay TV company Setanta went out…

The latest ruling in a copyright case brought against Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and its YouTube subsidiary doesn’t move the needle much on the core issue but it means the bill should be lower if—and that’s still a big if—the company loses in court. The English Premier League started a class-action…

*Yahoo* withdrew its lawsuit against the NFL Players Association, which had promised to reignite a battle over the rights to data used in fantasy sports leagues. In a one-page filing, attorneys for Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) said that they had dismissed their claims “voluntarily and without prejudice.” The document did not…

It’s not just indie companies like ngmoco or Zynga trying to grab a slice of the mobile gaming market—TV networks like *Disney*, *ESPN* and Nickelodeon have all recently made aggressive moves into the space. Nickelodeon just launched the AddictingGames iNetwork, a mobile offshoot of its AddictingGames.com casual games portal. The…

Updated: -It’s not over ‘til it’s over, as the Chicago Sun-Times is saying a contract is close, but it’s nothing has been signed and sealed yet, meaning the Reuters item was a bit premature. The official word comes from Tribune rep Gary Weitman, who said that the company’s still in…

I’m sitting outside on a lovely Friday morning, sipping a cup of tea and catching up on the news. What’s wrong with this picture? It’s the final Friday of Wimbledon and I’m reduced to either watching a pirated feed from a place where the broadcasters value live sports or following…

Updated: The Padres deal has been announced officially: customers who subscribe to Cox’s broadband service in San Diego area can purchase a package of San Diego Padres game telecasts for live in-market online viewing. The cost is same as the Yankees deal for the rest of this season: $49.95 for…

Forget the international date line. I crossed the international tennis line when I flew to the UK this weekend, leaving behind a place where I could follow most of Wimbledon live online at no charge on NBC, which even will stream the finals live, and ESPN (NYSE: DIS)  for one…

Another creative deal in the sports rights arena: the extended and expanded agreement between Turner Sports and The PGA of America adds licensing, social media and more mobile to the mix. Under the eight-year extension, Turner Sports will broadcast the PGA Championship and PGA Grand Slam of Golf, as well…

Reuters editor-in-chief David Schlesinger has warned the International Olympics Committee Press Commission its media accreditation rules are outdated and must be modernised to allow audience members to report from the Games. “The old means of control don’t work ... “Fundamentally, the old media won’t control news dissemination in the future.…

It didn’t take long for *CBS* to issue a statement after Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) and Comcast (NSDQ: CMCSA) announced the upcoming national trial of TV Everywhere, expressing interest in anything “to help extend our business in such a way that is open and non-exclusive; consumer friendly; and responsible to…

The YES Network, the cable TV home of the NY Yankees, provided details of the deal with Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) and MLB Advanced Media that will give the MSO’s subscribers access to live streaming games on their computers. The deal only applies to in-game ads, and those shown to YES…

Major League Baseball is continuing its forward-thinking when it comes to streaming live games by teaming with browser-based media provider Boxee. The open source video site offered a number of news items at its App Developer Challenge in San Francisco. Aside from the deal with Major League Baseball Advanced Media,…

The 2012 London Olympics will be the most wired yet but, true to its modest ambitions relative to Beijing, will focus on mass viewer appeal over cutting-edge online media, organisers say. “We don’t necessarily see this as, first and foremost, an opportunity to innovate,” Alex Balfour, new media head for…

» What the future looks like for *Netflix*, now that mailing things has become passe (and not everyone decided to get an Xbox 360).  [WSJ.com] » Good thing Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) has a backup plan because Redbox has its own plan for DVD dominance. [Yahoo Finance] » The new owners of the San…

It’s been in the chase for some time, but now Disney-owned ESPN (NYSE: DIS) has finally got its hands on lucrative English Premier League soccer TV rights for the next four years. The broadcaster has long wanted to extend its footprint in the UK and Europe—and it was handed the…

In the two years since Jeff Zucker became president and CEO of NBC Universal (NYSE: GE), he’s shifted the digital strategy more than once; played an important role in creating the joint venture dubbed “ClownCo” by doubters and transforming it into Hulu; approved putting thousands of Olympic hours on broadband;…

If all goes as planned (and it does more often than not where MLBAM is concerned) baseball fans with iPhones/iTouches and the MLB.com At Bat will get a live streaming doubleheader Thursday. And that’s just the opening act. Plunking down a one-time fee of $9.99 will provide live out-of-market video…