EBU secures European Athletics rights through 2031 to anchor free-to-air streaming
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and European Athletics have extended their media rights partnership through 2031, guaranteeing free-to-air coverage of major athletics events across Europe. This agreement ensures continued distribution through EBU members' networks and its Eurovision Sport streaming platform. The EBU and its production partner, Actua Sport, will also serve as host broadcaster for many events.
Key Takeaways
- Extension covers the European Athletics Championships in 2028 and 2030, plus indoor championships in 2029 and 2031.
- 30 EBU member broadcasters have already committed to transmitting events under the new four-year term.
- Eurovision Sport, the EBU’s direct-to-consumer platform, will provide global live and on-demand streaming access.
- The EBU re-secured its role as host broadcaster, utilizing production partner Actua Sport for major fixtures.
Why It Matters
This renewal reinforces the public service media model as a critical firewall against the total migration of tier-one sports to pay-TV and premium streaming. By locking in rights through 2031, the EBU provides long-term stability for its Eurovision Sport platform, which increasingly serves as a digital home for underserved Olympic disciplines. For the broader ecosystem, it demonstrates that unified public-service bids remain competitive against private equity-backed streamers, provided they can offer massive, cross-border linear reach alongside digital infrastructure. Watch for member participation rates in digital-only feeds as a barometer for how traditional broadcasters are navigating the transition from linear-first to hybrid distribution models.
Additional Context
The EBU’s long-term extension with European Athletics follows a broader institutional push to centralize and digitize sports rights for public broadcasters. Per Sportspro (January 2023), the EBU and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) previously secured a joint deal for all media rights in Europe for four Olympic Games between 2026 and 2032. That agreement granted EBU members a direct relationship with the International Olympic Committee for the first time in over a decade, mirroring the longevity and direct-partner structure seen in the European Athletics renewal. These multi-decade partnerships are becoming essential as sports rights values concentrate at the top. Per SportBusiness (2025), while global sports media rights are projected to reach $66.42 billion in 2026, growth in Europe has been more cautious, projected at a 17% increase to $21.3 billion by 2030 according to Ampere Analysis (November 2025). This slower regional growth has forced public service media (PSM) to rely on collective bargaining to outbid or partner with global tech giants. The Eurovision Sport platform, launched in early 2024, is the centerpiece of this digital evolution. Per IBC.org (June 2026), the service recently expanded its reach by launching on Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) platforms in the UK, including Samsung TV Plus and Amazon Live. This move is designed to maximize discoverability for sports like athletics and aquatics in environments where younger audiences increasingly consume content. The strategy appears to be working; the EBU reported that its digital platforms saw record engagement during high-profile events, with the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest alone reaching 163 million viewers and amassing billions of views on TikTok, providing a template for how the union intends to scale its sports streaming offerings.
Read full article at broadcastnow.co.uk
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