Lagardère Sports’ Media rights partnership with Kontinental Hockey League extended

Lagardère Sports announced today that it has been appointed to distribute the worldwide media rights for the international sports league, Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). As the League’s media rights partner since its inception in 2008, Lagardère Sports has extended its commitment and will now manage media rights outside of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan across four seasons from 2017/2018 until 2020/2021.

The deal also includes rights across all broadcasting platforms. As an official representative of the KHL media rights, Lagardère Sports will now manage KHL data and betting rights across the globe. As part of their long-term partnership, Lagardère Sports have worked with the League to develop a growth strategy for its international expansion. With its expertise in both traditional broadcasting platforms and innovative distribution, the agency will further increase the popularity and visibility of KHL around the world. It will expand the commercial potential of KHL and its clubs that receive annual profits from the League’s media rights distribution.

Tigran Sirunyan, Executive Director Acquisitions, Media – Europe, Lagardère Sports, said: “The KHL is making a big impact on the sporting world, and is helping ice hockey reach more and more audiences. We are delighted to be using our expertise to create maximum value for the League and supporting its growth, whilst bringing all the exciting action from the ice straight to the fans, across the globe. KHL has proved to be a reliable partner throughout the years of our cooperation, so extending our partnership is a logical step in reinforcing our further interaction.”

Sergey Dobrokhvalov, KHL Marketing and Communications Vice-President, said: “Lagardère Sports has been a trustworthy partner of KHL for almost a decade now, and we are pleased to extend our relations for another four seasons. Being a leader in global sports marketing with vast media rights experience and passion for our sport, the company will further help us increase the KHL distribution worldwide. KHL television rights are already sold to over 30 countries in the world, and we hope that this number will continue to grow in the near future. The League has undergone comprehensive development over the last seasons, and we appreciate Lagardère Sports’ contribution to this ongoing process. I am convinced that our enhanced cooperation will remain mutually beneficial and will present a great opportunity to foster the League’s promotion on the international media market.”

Lagardère Sports is a leader in media sales with a dynamic media team and an expansive global network that allows it to effectively package and sell rights around the world. The KHL is part of the agency’s diverse portfolio of international sports properties.