After throwing down the winning bid to take over the rights to 46 Premiership matches after Setanta failed to make payment, ESPN has announced that they will be setting up a new UK channel to feature the games on.
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.
Not only is Lionel Messi getting set for next weeks Champions League Final against Manchester United, but dude is also going to be on the cover of the upcoming ESPN The Mag. Looks like ESPN is not only trying to use this to build up extra excitement for Wednesday’s final, but it looks like they are going ahead and putting their crown on who they think is the worlds best player.
I came across this story about Tommy Smyth from our boy Spangler’s Twitter page. The story was written by Steven Wells for The Guardian and is called, “Is this the end for Tommy Smyth, possibly the most hated football commentator in history?” There are no doubts that every soccer fan in America that has listened to Tommy call a game has an opinion about him. Check out the full story to hear just how much some people don’t like him and if his days are numbered with ESPN losing the Champions League rights to FSC.
Quite possibly my favorite part of the entire article…
Crockatt is particularly appalled by Smyth’s brogue, which is as powerful now as when Smyth emigrated to the US in 1963. “In each of the years that he’s left County Louth, his accent has gotten stronger to such an extent that he’s now 94% angry leprechaun.”
After two years of ratings that started low and finished lower, ESPN executives decided to cancel the league’s regular Thursday night telecast on ESPN2 this season. In its place, ESPN2 will carry an MLS game of the week, which will air on four different nights during the season.
The Walt Disney Company is considering making a bid for the football broadcasting rights to the Premier League in 2009. The next auction of broadcasting rights to England’s top-flight, which are currently held by BSkyB, is due to begin in January.
Image via Metro
Danny Way got crushed, landing on the lip of the Big Air Ramp. Double Shin to Coping.
Ouch. He called it, he went down and got back up to kill it. Nuts.
Justin Timberlake kneeling in front of Becks and cracking a nice joke at the ESPY Awards.
Image via Mirror
