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Sports on ITV will remain free, Sky CEO pledges
Sky and ITV will look at opportunities for synergy in sports broadcasting, but protected sport rights will remain on ITV's free-to-air television channels.

Comcast’s Sky makes ITV acquisition official, will spend $2.16 billion to buy broadcaster
Sky says the acquisition strengthens its ability to compete with global streaming platforms, while ITV says its public service broadcasting obligations remain protected.

Amazon pact with NBA lifts global viewership of basketball games
Amazon's telecast of regular season NBA games through Prime Video is lifting global interest in the sport, according to fresh data released this week.
DATA

Fubo rolls out price increase on NBC-inclusive plans after new carriage deal
The adjusted price accounts for a $11 discount the company rolled out during the NBC dispute, plus a modest bump to account for its new carriage deal.

Disney Channel to rebrand in Germany, expand programing beyond kid shows
The revamped channel will include an expanded schedule with more-mature programming from Marvel and FX, among others.

Amazon pulls ZapperBox from online store over unfounded TV piracy concerns
BitRouter, the company that makes the ZapperBox, believes Amazon is confusing its certified live TV device with boxes that enable piracy.
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No justice for Lyra McKee: Men found not guilty in journalist’s killing
After a bench trial, a judge said there was not enough evidence to convict the three self-proclaimed militia members of murder.

Sky Deutschland to simulcast NFL RedZone on new Sky Sport NFL channel
The deal will allow the new channel to offer NFL programming from American networks, including ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox and Prime Video.

Supreme Court denies reporter Catherine Herridge’s bid to avoid fines over confidential sources
The decision means the former Fox News reporter is on the hook for $800 in fines until she complies with a lower court's order to disclose her sources.

Wimbledon to serve as further test case for low-latency BBC iPlayer
The tournament will allow the BBC to obtain much-needed data across tens of thousands of devices when viewers are watching the same event at once.

Fox News extends ratings lead during Q2 as CNN, MS NOW tout audience growth
Fox News emphasized its dominance over CNN and MS NOW in Nielsen ratings, while CNN and MS NOW focused on growth trends rather than overall rankings.
RATINGS

Gomez criticizes dismissal of challenge against FCC’s news distortion policy
The original petition, backed by former FCC leaders including Tom Wheeler and Mark Fowler, sought repeal of the news distortion rule, claiming it chills editorial independence.
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