TV market and ice hockey: CH Media and Sunrise UPC join forces
The media company CH Media and the telecom company Sunrise UPC are teaming up in the national TV and streaming market. In addition to CH Media, the Blick Group will also be involved in the broadcasting of games from the National League, the highest ice hockey league.
Specifically, the Streaming service "Oneplus" from CH Media will become an integral part of Sunrise UPC's TV offering, the two companies announced jointly on Friday. At the same time, Sunrise UPC is taking a 20 percent stake in CH Media TV AG. This is a long-term, strategic partnership.
CH Media also becomes the main partner of MySports, Sunrise UPC's sports and entertainment offering with a focus on ice hockey. From the coming season, MySports will have the overall media rights to the National League.
Blick Group also participates in National League
In addition to CH Media, the telecom company Sunrise UPC also brought the Blick Group on board. This will make the National League accessible to a broad audience on TV and digital channels, according to a media release from Sunrise UPC and the National League.
According to MySports, CH Media is the market leader among private TV providers in Switzerland. In digital, the Blick Group is a sports flagship with expertise in ice hockey and a strong online presence. Ice hockey fans would watch all Nationa League games on MySports.
In future, one National League match each will be shown weekly on CH Media's TV24 and on Blick.ch, according to the media release. The concrete distribution plans for German-speaking Switzerland, French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino will be worked out in the coming months. MySports and the National League extended their media partnership last year until 2027.
SRG in talks with Sunrise UPC
Swiss television SRF and the other SRG stations are directly affected by the redistribution of broadcasting rights for the National League. SRG is making intensive efforts to obtain the corresponding broadcasting rights for all language regions until the 2026/27 season, Roland Mägerle, Head of SRF Sport and Business Unit Sport SRG, is quoted as saying in an interview on the SRF website.
SRG is still in talks with Sunrise UPC about acquiring rights to broadcast its own National League programs. Mägerle: "Exactly how SRG broadcasters will be able to report on Swiss club ice hockey from the 2022/23 season is still open, however." (SDA)
