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CEFL broadcasts to go on Sportklub

Goran Košutić

After last year’s breakthrough on television during the playoffs in Serbia, CEFL has all but signed a deal with Sportklub, a European cable and satellite television channel that would put league games on TV screens for the final games this season, and the next two years.

Sportklub is a sports-exclusive television channel that airs in all CEFL countries except Austria and Slovakia -- Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and most recently Croatia, along with Romania and Poland. Though the channels all function separately, the deal would include all the regional Sportklub channels, which would give access to broadcasts in their country for most CEFL teams.

For the remainder of the season, there are three games planned -- though not specified yet, they will most probably include the playoffs.

Last year, the semi-final in Belgrade, and the final, also in Belgrade, were both broadcast on Serbia’s nationally covered channel Avala. Though that was an important step for CEFL, it was limited to Serbia -- this time, although Sportklub is a cable and satellite channel, it gives an opportunity for practically all of the teams to introduce themselves in their native countries, which would help them better develop their programs.

It’s also the home of NFL and college football in many of the countries, so putting CEFL there is a logical move. Since it will also be available for Sportklub channels in countries without CEFL teams, it could potentially help the league expand -- last year there was interest by a Romanian team in joining the league.