ESPN snaps up Premier League TV packages

[Lazie]

ESPN has won the rights to broadcast 46 live Premier League matches in the United Kingdom for the 2009-10 season, and has also been awarded a contract for the 2010-13 seasons.



The sports broadcaster, parent company of Soccernet, picked up both 23-match packages on offer in Monday's auction. ESPN's 46 live games will be split between Saturday evenings and Monday nights in the coming season. For the three seasons from 2010-11 to 2012-13 ESPN has the rights to a single package of 23 matches previously awarded to Setanta.

The Premier League ended its association with Setanta on Friday after it failed to meet a final deadline over a £30m payment which had been due this month. Setanta was also stripped of its Scottish Premier League contract on Monday.

"We are clearly delighted that our bid for exclusive media rights to the Barclays Premier League matches in the UK has been successful," said Lynne Frank, ESPN Managing Director in Europe, Middle East and Africa. "This is a huge step for our business, and we look forward to working with the Premier League, football clubs and distributors to bring UK sports fans all the excitement they expect in Premier League football."

"Premier League football is one of the world's most sought after sports properties, and we are very excited to be expanding our business in the UK with England's top football product," said Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International. "This move demonstrates our commitment to British sports fans and our ongoing commitment to delivering football to fans around the world across a variety of media."

Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, said: "The Premier League is extremely pleased to have added ESPN as a UK rights holder. They have a formidable worldwide reputation and experience in sports and I am sure we will enjoy a long and fruitful relationship with them."

ESPN plans to make its Barclays Premier League coverage widely available across multiple pay-TV platforms. As a first step to this distribution strategy, ESPN has reached an agreement for its coverage to be retailed by Sky to residential and commercial customers

[Lazie]

.. as long as dem stay a UK. I don't want them coming near the broadcasts in the USA ... I'm comfortable with FSC.

[Jawge]

I beg to second that; shoot
if it was FSC we would be seeing the Brasil games over and over. ESPN doesn't love the sport. If it wasn't for DVRs I don't know what I would do in this CONFED tourney.

Tell them stick to covering NASCAR, tennis, golf et al. Long live FSC !!!

[Jangle]

Bwoy Jawge is like yuh a read me mind to rhatid. i couldn't have said it any better. Right now I have to check the schedule daily to make sure the DVR is set correctly. They advertise for one game and show another.

[Jangle]

BTW anybody knows who is going to bring the GOLD Cup?

[Jawge]

Please don't let it be ESPN. Hope it's FSC.

[Lazie]

BTW anybody knows who is going to bring the GOLD Cup?

FSC! We gonna get pre-game show .. lets hope dem have some dancing girls during that segment.

[Paul Marin]

Okay - but who will pick up the Sentata games in the USA? I believe (don't hold me to this) that FSC actually holds the US rights to 8 Prem games per weekend and sublet the rights to Setanta, but now that Setanta get what di duck get, will they retain them all? That doesn't seem feasible if they plan to continue showing Serie A. Very disturbing developments actually as I liked Setanta.

[Karl]

BTW anybody knows who is going to bring the GOLD Cup?

Spanish Language stations

[Sickko]

I notice my cable provider dropped Setanta last week

[Sickko]

ESPN had BOTH games on Sunday- I saw the US game on ESPN and the Italy game was on ESPN 2 same time

[Peter R]

In T&T a local station is televising the Confed Cup...great for watching; other than their little logo in the corner, nutten else pon screen but football; jus siddung an watch an figget bout how much minutes gawn or what half de game in.

[Za]

ESPN will broadcast La Liga games (share with GOLTV)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...HBwAgD98VU0A80

[Paul Marin]

Okay, that's good, but will FSC now broadcast all the EPL games now that Setanta is basically defunct? (I hope ESPN uses their international broadcasters and not the useless yankee announcers).

[Paul Marin]

From the setanta website (I guess they are still broadcasting EPL in USA next season):

As has been widely reported in various media channels, Setanta Sports has had its agreement to broadcast 46 Barclays Premier League matches in the UK terminated. This development does not affect our channels and other services in the US. Setanta Sports in the US is a separate operation that has separate agreement to show the Barclay’s Premier League. Our channels and other services in the US continue to broadcast and our subscribers can still enjoy our programming including the Lions Tour of South Africa and the UEFA U21 European Championship. New customers are welcome to subscribe to watch some of the world’s best soccer and rugby either by contacting our cable and satellite partners or online at www.setanta.com. We thank you for your continued interest in Setanta Sports and look forward to bringing you a wealth of sport over the coming months and years.