MUMBAI: After exiting the Asian market post its stake sale in sports broadcasting joint venture to Rupert Murdoch?s News Corp, The Walt Disney Company owned sports network ESPN has now shut its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations as it seeks to concentrate on its core market, US, where it has to battle an aggressive Fox Sports Network.

ESPN has closed down ESPN Classic throughout the EMEA region and the non-UK ESPN America TV businesses.

Like in Asia, ESPN will continue to own and operate its existing digital media businesses which include multisport news and information portal ESPN.co.uk, ESPNcricinfo (cricket), ESPNFC (football), ESPNscrum (rugby), ESPNF1 (Formula 1) and broadband streaming service ESPN Player. ESPN Classic has been excluded from the proposed transaction.

The BT Group, which is launching sports channels in UK in summer, has decided to acquire ESPN?s UK and Ireland TV channels business. These primarily comprise the ESPN and ESPN America channels and their live sports rights portfolio, including the FA Cup, Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League, UEFA Europa League, and the German Bundesliga.

ESPN had been mulling for quite some time to exit UK ever since it lost the lucrative English Premier League (EPL) rights to BT last year. The British telecom major had last year bagged EPL rights for ?246 million.

The transaction is expected to complete on 31 July after which BT will continue to operate at least one ESPN-branded channel which is expected to form part of the BT Sport TV package that will be launched by BT this summer.

Additionally, the deal will allow BT to continue to show a host of US sports currently shown on ESPN America, including NCAA College Basketball, NCAA College Football and NASCAR. The ESPN channels will be broadcast from BT Sport?s new home in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. Until completion, the service for current subscribers to the ESPN channels across all television platforms remains unchanged.

The deal will enable BT Sport customers to see live coverage of the FA Cup for the 2013/14 season, the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League until the end of the 2016/17 season and the UEFA Europa League and German Bundesliga through to the end of the 2014/15 season.

These join the broadcast rights that BT Sport has previously announced, including 38 live Barclays Premier League matches - including 18 of the top clashes - in each of the next three seasons (beginning August 2013); 69 live Aviva Premiership Rugby matches for the next four seasons; and up to 800 hours per season of live women?s tennis, including the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships.

BT Retail chief executive of television Marc Watson said, "We are delighted to have reached agreement with ESPN for the acquisition of their UK channels business and that we have been able to add some exciting new sports rights to the ones we already have.

"The FA Cup, Scottish Premier League and Europa League rights will allow us to offer customers of BT Sport even more quality live football, including our first games from the Scottish top flight and our first European competition rights. There will also be the best of US sports available courtesy of this deal, which will further broaden the appeal of BT Sport."

ESPN - Europe, Middle East and Africa MD Ross Hair said, "We could not be more proud of the TV channels built and nurtured by our talented team over the past four years. The value of that hard work is reflected in this deal with BT and the continuation of ESPN on television screens across the UK and Ireland. The same passion, commitment and innovation will be at the heart of how we develop our strong digital media business into the future."

MUMBAI: Former Walt Disney Company executive Giorgio Stock is set to join Turner International as president of Turner Broadcasting System Europe, Middle East and Africa, effective April.

Stock joins Turner after a 15-year career at Disney. He was most recently EVP and GM- Disney Consumer Products, Publishing and Retail, EMEA.

He will lead Turner International?s portfolio in EMEA. He will have executive oversight for all entertainment and kids networks and media services offered in EMEA, the distribution and commercial operations of CNN?s services in that region, and all licensing and merchandising activity in EMEA.

Turner Broadcasting System International president Gerhard Zeilers said, "We are delighted that Giorgio is joining us. His success in international licensing and merchandising, his experience in launching kid?s programmes and channels, as well as his deep understanding of digital commerce make him the ideal choice to lead our business in EMEA into the next stage of growth. Looking with fresh eyes at our business as a true leader, he will be a strong addition to Turner Broadcasting System International. We all look forward to working with him to extend our core brands and build international scale."

Stocks said, "I am excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to working with Gerhard, the EMEA leadership team and our colleagues throughout the region to build on a history of creativity and innovation. Opportunities abound to expand our brands and franchises across both existing and emerging platforms and to build the foundations for new consumer relevant propositions, leveraging the vast creative output and resources of both Turner and Time Warner."

Turner Broadcasting System currently broadcasts 17 branded channels via 53 feeds in 27 languages to over 100 territories in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The channels include CNN International, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Cartoonito, Boing, Adult Swim, TNT, TCM and Glitz.

MUMBAI: The global economic slowdown seems to be having an impact on Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). The company said it would be trimming 30 per cent of its staff in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The harsh decision comes after TBS international president Gerhard Zeiler took charge in September 2012. He began the review exercise soon after to identify redundancies and make operational changes across the region.

Zeiler told media today that a "30 per cent reduction in positions across EMEA is necessary in order to give more operating power and accountability within the regions, as opposed to large central functions.?

?This review required us taking some tough decisions, but they are absolutely necessary to put Turner International in the best possible position for future growth,? said Zeiler. ?Greater empowerment and broader accountability for local management will lead to simplified processes throughout the organization, improved efficiency and reduced costs,? Zeiler added.

Once the review is complete, some functions will be outsourced while others will be restructured for which proposal are being consulted upon presently.

?This review required us taking some tough decisions, but they are absolutely necessary to put Turner International in the best possible position for future growth. Greater empowerment and broader accountability for local management will lead to simplified processes throughout the organisation, improved efficiency and reduced costs,? said Zeiler.

No details about annual savings through these were given.

Turner Broadcasting System International operates more than 100 channels that are versions of core Turner brands, such as CNN, TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies, in more than 30 languages in 200 countries around the world. Turner?s EMEA business has 17 branded channels in 27 languages in more than 100 territories.

MUMBAI: MobiTV, a global leader in enabling delivery of live and on-demand TV everywhere, plans to expand its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations to London as part of its continuing growth in the region.

The new hub will be managed and operated by MobiTV co-founder and president Paul Scanlan.

"Since the company‘s start over 10 years ago, Paul Scanlan has been an unmistakable driving force behind the business," said MobiTV CEO Charlie Nooney. "We are excited by the opportunities for true TV everywhere in EMEA and internationally. As our growth accelerates, Paul is the right person to lead our expansion outside of the U.S."

From the company‘s new London office, Scanlan will continue to manage and grow all aspects of the company‘s sales and partnership activity in EMEA, as momentum for TV everywhere is building in Europe and other regions.

Recently, the company announced further upgrades to its TV everywhere proposition with the introduction of its nDVR (network DVR) - a cloud-based solution that addresses digital rights management issues geographically.

MobiTV has also extended the scope of its datacenter to manage all types of motion picture content for international multi-screen delivery of high-quality services.

"The EMEA markets have demonstrated strong growth potential for IPTV and TV everywhere," said Scanlan. "I look forward to MobiTV playing a key role in enabling the development and adoption of TV everywhere deployments in EMEA and other global markets."