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Sport on television is big business, but it is about more than just commerce. Using a range of national case studies from Europe and beyond, this book analyses the political, economic, social and regulatory issues raised in relation to the buying and selling of television sports rights.

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Introduction 1. The Sports-Media-Business Complex 2. The Sports Broadcasting Market 3. The Social and Cultural Value of Sport 4. The Importance of Free-to-Air Sports Broadcasting 5. Competition Law and Sports Broadcasting 6. The Regulation of Access to Major Sporting Events 7: Australia 8. Brazil 9. India 10. Italy 11. South Africa 12. Spain 13. United Kingdom 14. USA Notes References Index

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"Many analysts make reference to ´global media´ in their writing. Evens, Iosifidis and Smith have gone much further, supplying extensive evidence of how commercial power and competition policy actually function in a global age. It is essential reading for students, teachers and professionals who want to know much more than the latest football scores." - Brett Hutchins, Co-Director of the Research Unit in Media Studies, Monash University, Australia, and author of Sport Beyond Television (2012)

"While the inexorable rise in the value of sports broadcasting deals continues to grab headlines, this timely contribution offers compelling arguments for the persisting need for a regulatory approach that balances the commercial interests with the social and cultural values of sport and sports broadcasting. The in-depth analysis of key commercial and regulatory issues, backed up by insightful national case studies, deserves broad readership not only in Europe and the US, but also in rapidly developing sports broadcasting markets." - Dr. Ben Van Rompuy, Asser International Sports Law Centre, T.M.C. Asser Instituut, Belgium

"The Political Economy of Television Sports Rights is a substantial and worthwhile book. It will provide good resources for any students studying media and sport, and should be a resource for public policy makers." - Communications (2014)

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Author Petros Iosifidis: Petros Iosifidis is Professor in Media and Communication Policy in the Department of Sociology, City University London, UK. He is the author of Public Television in the Digital Era (2007), Global Media and Communication Policy (2011), co-author of The Political Economy of Television Sports Rights (2013) and editor of Reinventing Public Service Communication (2010).

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