The Premier League have awarded all of the live matches formerly held by Setanta to the Disney-owned broadcaster ESPN.

ESPN have not only been awarded the two packages of 46 live games for next season, but in a surprise move by the Premier League also Setanta's package of 23 matches per season for the 2010-13 period.

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.

"I would like to thank ESPN, as well as all the other broadcasters who submitted bids, for their professionalism and effort in engaging in our sales process at such short notice.

"The timescale of our process was tight to say the least, and it is to the great credit of ESPN that they committed themselves to adding Barclays Premier League football to their already impressive portfolio of sports rights.

"The speed at which we have been able to conclude this deal means that the preparations for next season will be able to continue without interruption and fans and clubs will have certainty over the broadcasting of Barclays Premier League matches for the next four seasons."

Russell Wolff, executive vice president and managing director of ESPN International, said: "Premier League football is one of the world's most sought-after sports properties. We are very excited to be working with the Premier League and expanding our businesses in the UK.

"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."

thanks to Mooley 4 this

[.: JaCkPoT :.]

we all knew it was gonna be ESPN

[macjst35]

Originally Posted by .: JaCkPoT :. we all knew it was gonna be ESPN

Yes , also at the mo only available direct on the s@y platform
still they are talking with other media companies .

ESPN's matches will be available on BSkyB
You will pay an extra amount for the ESPN matches
Games likely to be on a new branded ESPN channel - separate from the existing ESPN Classic and ESPN America
ESPN wants it on platforms other than BSkyB and is in talks with Virgin Media, though BT is yet to comment

[red devil]

so wats the story wit satanta are they gonna stop broadcasting
and shut up shop or keep goin without the major packages ?

[krazylegz]

been nothing said yet red m8, but personally i cant see them surviving unless they get bought out fast

[red devil]

Originally Posted by krazylegz been nothing said yet red m8, but personally i cant see them surviving unless they get bought out fast

just wonderin wats gonna happen to all the cable customers in uk & irl
hopefully they gonna replace setanta wit espn, dats wat i would hope happens
any info on the cable side yet m8 ?

[johnboy1974]

good old espn, i hear they are gonna take the scottish football rights too, and set up a new channel espn live which will use exsisting channels that were used by setanta ie freeview sky and cable too.

[normanski]

I wonder if anyone will take up the Blue Square Premier Conference games, Satan TV, err, Setanta injected much needed cash the past couple of years

[cactikid]

espn is on channel where setanta was in irl.

[kangochad]

Lets hope that VM cook up somthing with ESPN before the season starts.

I'm sick of this buying in buying out crap, it's all about the money. Now an AMERICAN company owns the rights??! it's getting ridiculous now.

Some games are not shown on TV.. But they are on in America and others.. WTF??!! Correct me if I am wrong but isn't it an ENGLISH game, with an ENGLISH league and ENGLISH teams.

The premier league and others should start a broadcaster that shows all games to all subscribers for a fixed fee per season and if the other countries want to see the games.. they have to buy into it and we'll broadcast it to them. NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND.

:-) Up The Villa :-)

[Jasmeet_87]

Now confirmed as channel 553 on VM
http://www.virginmedia.com/customers...nnel-guide.pdf

[alunfennell]

Originally Posted by kangochad The premier league and others should start a broadcaster that shows all games to all subscribers for a fixed fee per season and if the other countries want to see the games.. they have to buy into it and we'll broadcast it to them. NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND.

There was it was called Setanta, Setanta had there eye on the big picture and if they could under regulations would have bought (or tried to) all the right to the Premiership

But unfortunatly the Premiership and rights holders broadcast all the matches to these satellite companys directly Sky Sporst and Setanta RIP for broadcasting, maybe some day the cost of broadcasting football will be to expencive for these Satellite companys and the Premiership rights holders will sell directly a viewing card to us the customer.

But Since the Premiership was founded Fifteen years ago or so it was done so in coperation with BSkyB but saying that Sky never once decided to show live football on a Saturday afternoon in all those years when most of us subscribers want to watch football while the rest of Europe can watch 3-5 different live Epl matches on different satellites on a Saturday afternoon.....

RIP Setanta for trying to bring us what the rest of Europe have been watching for years while we watched Sky's Football Center, Im sure Sky think were a right bunch of wallys ... and the British and Irish Satellite cable providers wonder why piracy is so high ..........

Regards:
Alun

[Jasmeet_87]

I think that when the Premier League was founded there was an agreement made with the Football League not to show games at 3 PM on a Saturday so that attendances wouldn't be affected, backed up by Article 48 of the UEFA Statutes. Therefore the rights to broadcast 3 PM games in the UK was never offered. Obviously there's little chance of foreigners coming to watch lower league matches so they do get televised 3 PM games.

uefa.com

http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/88494.pdf

Originally Posted by kangochad Now an AMERICAN company owns the rights??! it's getting ridiculous now.

I don't see how a Disney/Hearst company owning the rights is worse than the BSkyB (largest shareholder the American News Corporation, chaired by Australian born, American citizen Rupert Murdoch).

[Jasmeet_87]

Launch date confirmed as 4th August on cable, satellite and terrestrial.
http://www.agbnielsen.co.uk/agb/file...20-%20ESPN.doc

[Jasmeet_87]

Now the 3rd.
Disney-owned ESPN's new UK channel will replace ESPN America on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable TV electronic programme guides.
£9 a month to Sky Sports subscribers and for £12 a month to other Sky customers.
Sky channel 417 with a high definition service at number 443.
ESPN will launch new channel to show Premier League games | Media | guardian.co.uk