MTG extends exclusive FIBA rights agreement in Baltics until 2021

MIES, Switzerland/STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Modern Times Group MTG AB, a leading international digital entertainment group, has extended its exclusive broadcasting rights agreement for FIBA's leading men's and women's competitions over the period 2017-2021 in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The renewal of the agreement comes as FIBA's Competition System 2017+ is set to launch in November. Under the new system, teams across the globe will play regular official games in qualifying windows held year-round to qualify to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and FIBA Continental Cups 2021, including FIBA EuroBasket Cup 2021.

MTG will host broadcast qualification games and show all key games on all MTG free TV channels TV3, premium Pay TV sport channel Viasat Sport Baltic and digital pay platform Viaplay.

The agreement is in place for FIBA EuroBasket 2017, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers and Final Round, the FIBA EuroBasket Cup 2021 Qualifiers and Final Round on the men's side. On the women's side, it includes the 2017, 2019 and 2021 editions of FIBA EuroBasket Women and the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018. Finally, it also covers the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Men and Women 2020.

MTG free TV channels TV3 will show all of the men's national team's Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and FIBA EuroBasket Cup 2021 as well as Final Round games at both tournaments, including the Semi-Finals and Finals. Pay TV premium sport channel Viasat Sport Baltic will show all key games across both men's and women's competitions, while digital platform Viaplay will provide access to all games live on all devices across the Baltics.

Peter Nørrelund, EVP and CEO of MTG Sport said: "MTG and FIBA have had a very solid partnership since 2007. For more than 10 years we have shown all key basketball events in the Baltic region. FIBA's tournaments always unite nations in Baltics and FIBA's Competition System 2017+ will bring even more focus for national teams. We are happy to be a part of it and of bringing all the action to all our viewers for another five years across all platforms at any time and everywhere."

Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General and IOC Member, said: "The extension of the agreement with MTG is great news for FIBA. It shows the ever-increasing interest in the broadcasting of our events which is now further enhanced through our Competition System 2017+. The Baltic region is a hot bed of basketball interest with some of the most passionate fans in the world. It is great news that they will continue to receive such a comprehensive coverage of the best of international basketball during this new five-year cycle."

The agreement was brokered by FIBA Media, the strategic partnership between FIBA and Perform, which is in the process of securing long-term agreements around the world for the new FIBA Competition Calendar which begins this summer.

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About FIBA
FIBA (fiba.com) - the world governing body for basketball - is an independent association formed by 213 National Basketball Federations throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

For further information about FIBA visit fiba.com or follow FIBA on facebook.com/fiba, twitter.com/fiba, instagram.com/fiba youtube.com/fiba.