ESPN wins UK rights to braodcast Premier League

[Toddzilla]

I wonder if this means soccer will come to the USA via the WWL.....

article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/22/espn-wins-premier-league-rights):
ESPN, the US sports broadcaster owned by Disney, has won the rights to screen 46 live Premier League matches next season which were formerly held by Setanta.

The US broadcaster is thought to have paid about £90m for those games, according to industry sources. Setanta paid £131m, but the league had already received about £40m from the Irish pay-TV company in downpayments for the 2009-2010 season.

ESPN has also bid successfully for 23 games for three seasons from 2010 in a separate deal. Both sets of rights reverted to the Premier League on Friday after Setanta, their previous owner, failed to make a £10m payment to the rights holder.

THANX FOZ

[DaddyTorgo]

so they'll have like 1-2 a week next year and then moving forward for the next 2 years drop down to less than one (assuming they don't then pickup a larger package which if they're successful i'm sure they would)

[Ksyrup]

Unless I'm missing something, it doesn't look like it will affect US viewers much, right?

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.

Isn't that how you get access to PL matches now, through a subscription service? Doesn't look like this means free games on ESPN2 or anything.

[DaddyTorgo]

Unless I'm missing something, it doesn't look like it will affect US viewers much, right?



Isn't that how you get access to PL matches now, through a subscription service? Doesn't look like this means free games on ESPN2 or anything.

:(

[SirFozzie]

Correct. For the US, NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR 2009-2010

Half the games on Setanta US, Half the Games on Fox Soccer Channel

What's being auctioned off here in the US currently is the rights for 2010-11 to 2013-14 (three seasons worth)

[Ksyrup]

Whoever wins that auction would likely keep the games PPV, though, it sounds like.

[Solecismic]

Would it really make a difference, though? If they did put it out there to us masses, they would present the PL like it was the Harlem Globetrotters on tour, with Manchester United on every weekend.

[Ksyrup]

That would be a great idea, actually. What better way to get people to care about your sport than to give them something to hate? Market them as the Yankees of Soccer and even I might start to watch, just to root against them.

[Big Fo]

Would it really make a difference, though? If they did put it out there to us masses, they would present the PL like it was the Harlem Globetrotters on tour, with Manchester United on every weekend.

Works for me.

Although with the current situation I can see practically every Man Utd game on Setanta or FSC already without resorting to online streams.