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MUMBAI:
IMG, the global sports, fashion and media company, has entered
into an exclusive three-year media rights deal with the Russian
Football Premier League (RFPL)until 2015.
IMG
will market and distribute the league outside Russia and has
already secured contracts with more than 20 broadcasters including
NHK in Japan, ESPN in Brazil and Polsat in Poland.
The
new agreement will see IMG selling the rights for live and
highlights coverage of all 240 League games and also includes
internet streaming, mobile phones, DVD and in-flight and in-ship.
IMG
is currently in discussions with a number of other broadcasters
around the world and anticipates further deals being concluded
in the coming months.
IMG
Media Senior Vice President Michael Mellor said, "We
are delighted to be working alongside the Russian Football
Premier League and are working closely with them to both develop
the profile of the clubs and players and the reach of the
league.
"The
increasing investment of the Russian clubs in top world talent
has seen the quality of football and competition rise and
the league is now rated the seventh best by Uefa. We are sure
this will continue and enable IMG to utilise our worldwide
international sales team in sixty offices in thirty countries
around the world to grow exposure of the RFPL over the next
three years."
Founded
in 2001, the RFPL, which is run by the 16 clubs in the league,
succeeded the Russian Top League which had been run by the
Professional Football League of Russia. The current champions
are Zenit St Petersburg. The 2012/13 season will be the first
run from autumn to spring like most of the other European
leagues, the season having previously started in March.
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