It started as rumors, then talk of an investor, a deadline that was set and wasn’t met, which ended with Setanta’s broadcasting rights terminated. And after missing out with sub par bids during the first round of bidding, ESPN has stepped up and taken over Setanta’s television package for the rights to 46 live Premiership matches.
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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.
BSkyB, which already owns four out of a possible six packages of 23 live games next season, has failed to win any additional matches for the 2009-2010 season, which begins in August. Sky already holds the right to five out of six packages for the three years from the 2010-2011 season.
Under EU competition rules, Sky is barred from owning all of them but it is thought to have bid for one of the two packages of games.
ESPN has twice tried to buy rights to Premier League matches, before but it has been outbid on both occasions.
ESPN has also reached a distribution deal with BSkyB, which will screen the Premier League games it was awarded today from next season and beyond.
The US company said it had reached an agreement with Sky, but would also make the games “widely available across multiple pay-TV platforms”.
ESPN added that the Sky deal was a “first step” in its distribution strategy, which suggest that further deals with cable operator Virgin Media, and other digital TV operators including Freeview are likely to be struck.
ESPN also said that as part of the Sky arrangement, BSkyB would make games available to “commercial customers”, which implies that the pay-TV giant will sell games to pubs on ESPN’s behalf. Sky had a similar arrangement with Setanta.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore welcomed the deal. “The Premier League is extremely pleased to have added ESPN as a UK rights holder,” Scudamore said. “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 International managing director, Russell Wolff, added: “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.
“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.”
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