Saran Media Group, the prominent Turkish media operation, has extended its rights deal with Euroleague Basketball, the organizer of top European club competitions, for another four years.
The extension, brokered by international sports agency IMG, will see Saran Media continue its exclusive coverage of both the top-tier EuroLeague and second-tier EuroCup until the end of the 2028-29 season via its linear channel S Sport and OTT platform S Sport Plus.
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Saran Media first picked up rights in Turkey for the EuroCup ahead of the 2021-22 season, while its rights for the EuroLeague started with the 2022-23 season, with that contract running through the 2023-24 campaign.
Paulius Motiejunas, Euroleague Basketball chief executive, said: “Turkey remains one of our core markets, with millions of passionate fans following our competition.
“With Saran Media’s top-tier production and commitment to delivering high-quality broadcasts, we couldn’t imagine a better partner to continue bringing our thrilling games and engaging content to audiences across the country.”
Turkey is a priority market for the EuroLeague and currently boasts two teams in the competition, Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
Saran Media Group chief executive Kenan Saran added: “Our collaboration with Euroleague Basketball has been a great success over the years.
“We are excited to further strengthen our relationship and continue providing extensive and high-quality coverage of the EuroLeague and EuroCup.”
Alongside the European basketball competitions, Saran Media Group also holds broadcast rights in the country to North America's NBA.
The firm's wider sports portfolio includes Spanish soccer’s LaLiga, Italy's Serie A, the Wimbledon tennis grand slam and ATP Masters 100, motorcycling’s MotoGP, American football’s NFL, and mixed martial arts’ UFC.
Euroleague Basketball, meanwhile, recently extended its long-running broadcast partnership with German telecommunications firm Deutsche Telekom for a further three seasons.
The partnership, which will now run through the 2028-29 season, will see both EuroLeague and EuroCup games aired in Germany on the firm’s MagentaSport service.
This year’s showpiece season-ending Final Four will be hosted in Abu Dhabi, UAE, as part of a deal with the city’s Department of Culture and Tourism, which was also brokered by IMG.
It will be the first time the event has been staged outside of Europe since its 1966 inception. The 2024 Final Four was hosted in Berlin, Germany.
