MUMBAI: .The over-reliance on television income has left many soccer clubs in Europe alone either already out of business or on the brink of bankruptcy.

This finding is contained in a report by Research & Markets called The Global Business of Sports Television.

The report opines that sports broadcasting is at a crossroads. Television audiences for some major sports have been falling year-on-year. At the same time there has been an escalation in television sports rights along with the collapse of key rights agencies

The question is whether the sports TV rights bubble has burst for all sports as it has for soccer. Is the sports television industry heading for a period of decline?

The report examines and analyzes the present environment for sports rights in the key television markets and for all major sports. It also looks at the current state of play in the sports sponsorship industry.

There is another worry for sports television. The penetration of so-called killer applications for sport such as interactive TV, broadband and wireless telephony has been slower than anticipated. The report assesses the current sports market for these technologies and highlights future opportunities available for broadcasters, advertisers and sponsors.