The European Broadcast Union (EBU), the umbrella body of free-to-air broadcasters, has renewed its agreement with the European Gymnastics (UEG) governing body, which will continue to cover its men’s and women’s artistic and rhythmic gymnastics competitions through 2028.
The EBU will distribute the annual Artistic Gymnastics European Championships and Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships across 21 different territories.
Broadcasters included in the deal from prominent gymnastics markets include the BBC (UK), BNT (Bulgaria), Rai (Italy), The Sport Channel (Israel), and Suspilne (Ukraine), among others.
Coverage of the tournaments in the 21 territories will be supplemented by additional content provided by the EBU’s OTT streaming platform Eurovision Sport, which will provide shoulder content and ancillary programming around tournaments and widening the distribution reach.
Adding an extra four years to the long-running deal will bring the EBU’s partnership with UEG, last extended in 2020, to 42 years in total.
Speaking on the deal, EBU Sport executive director, Glen Killane, said: “This renewed agreement builds on more than 40 years of successful collaboration between the EBU and European Gymnastics, reinforcing our shared commitment to free-to-air access and global visibility for gymnastics. With equal focus on men’s and women’s events, we remain committed to promoting the sport’s values and showcasing true gender equality.”
UEG president Farid Gayibov added: “Extending our contract with the EBU marks a significant step in our long-lasting partnership. We are proud to continue this collaboration, which ensures our sport reaches audiences across the continent.”
The 2025 men’s and women’s Artistic Gymnastics European Championships, the first tournaments covered by the deal, will take place in Leipzig, Germany, from May 26 to May 31, with the Rhythmic European Championships taking place from June 4 to 8 in Tallinn, Estonia.
In terms of recent rights deals, in October 2024, the EBU secured TV and radio broadcast rights to the 2026 and 2030 editions of soccer’s iconic FIFA World Cup in five territories – Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, and Israel (2026 only). Sportcal