ESPN take over from SETANTA

ESPN TAKE OVER FROM SETANTA

Tuesday 23 Jun 2009

American broadcaster ESPN have stepped in to take over the Premier League rights previously held by Setanta.

Financial troubles at Setanta have forced to Irish broadcaster to relinquish their rights to rival Sky, with ESPN now holding rights for 46 games next season and 23 matches per season for the 2010-13 period.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore confirmed in a statement: "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 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 Premier League matches for the next four seasons."

http://www.4thegame.com/club/liverpool-fc/news/239515/espn_take_over_from_setanta.html

ESPN takes over.

Oh for fucks sake, that's really no better.

Yet another subscription based channel that's probably way over-priced.

I suppose I'll be looking for a good quality stream for next season.

Liverpool FC TV is still running though, just to add.

ESPN are only signed up for BSkyB but are in talks with BT and Virgin Media too, so fingers crossed Virgin dish it out to us included in the package, same as they did with Setanta.

Liverpool FC TV is still running though, just to add.

ESPN are only signed up for BSkyB but are in talks with BT and Virgin Media too, so fingers crossed Virgin dish it out to us included in the package, same as they did with Setanta.

Bloody hope so Joey, I'm demanding a refund if they don't after all it is part of the package.   I'll miss the Setanta games next season, glad the LFC channel is still up and running though.

Who were we kidding thinking that the BBC would get something that 90% of the population would watch?

Who were we kidding thinking that the BBC would get something that 90% of the population would watch?

To be honest apart from live FA Cup and Champions League games on ITV, I doubt there will be Premiership football on Terrestial TV.

Liverpool fans in America....setanta will continue to show epl games next season.

They got la Liga too... i'm extatic, now I only have to get up early to watch games and not drive down to the bar

Setanta are still supposed to be showing epl games in Ireland next season, which will probably mean just the 3 o`clock games every week.

Setanta are still supposed to be showing epl games in Ireland next season, which will probably mean just the 3 o`clock games every week.

That seems to be true but it ain't worth €20 a month.....

ESPN to launch UK sports channel 
 
ESPN bought the live football rights that were lost by Setanta
The US broadcaster ESPN has announced plans to launch a new UK sports channel, called ESPN, on 3 August.

The channel will show 46 live Barclays Premier League football games, which were to have been shown by Setanta until it missed a payment deadline.

The channel will also show some of the US sports to which ESPN owns rights.

ESPN has reached an initial deal to have the channel shown on Sky, but it is in talks with all UK pay-TV platforms about carrying the service.

Sky will also be responsible for selling advertising on the new channel.

Premiums

ESPN owns the rights to broadcast 46 live Premier League games in the 2009/10 season and 23 matches for each of the following three seasons.

Sky's residential customers will have to pay a premium of £9 a month for the new channel if they already pay for Sky Sports or £12 a month if they do not.

For commercial customers it will be part of the "ultimate" channel package.

The Premier League matches on ESPN will be produced by Sky Sports, although it will feature ESPN branding.

ESPN also owns rights to show American football, ice hockey, baseball and college football and basketball throughout Europe, which it used to show in the UK on its ESPN America channel.

ESPN is owned by The Walt Disney Company
 

£9 a month,cheaper than setanta i guess...

and i`m sure they will be alot more professional than setanta as well, although setanta had a good monday night show as well as the i`m on setanta sports piss take.

I doesnt matter who has the rights i be watching it on the net anyway

Liverpool fans in America....setanta will continue to show epl games next season.

OK, mixed news for me....nice to know i can still get it but not so good because it costs me a fortune. although Setanta itself is "only" $15 per month I can only get it if I have the full digital package so it basically costs me $100 for about 3 channels I actually want and I get 275 other ones i never watch along for the ride.

As an aside to that, a few years ago the satellite TV companies were really marketing hard against cable and their big "thing" was hammering the cable guys for grouping channels in tiers and implying with them you could just choose the channels you wanted "a la carte"...load of bollocks it was....their system was virtually identical....

what they both do that really annoys me is that they put one good sports channel in the bottom tier, then another one in the second tier, then another in the third and then, as i mentioned earlier, a "premium" channel or two in the digital tier. that way they know most sports fans will spring for the whole lot. to me it is a real consumer ripoff. (they do the same with movie channels, educational channels, etc.) bas**rds!

For people who have BtVision the bronze package you get Setanta for free but now we are getting ESPN America for free so I assume this will be free as well. Not too bad.

Sport presenter Stubbs leaves BBC

BBC sports presenter Ray Stubbs is to leave the corporation to be the frontman of ESPN's live Premier League coverage, it has been announced.

Stubbs, who spent five years on the books at Tranmere Rovers, presented football, snooker, darts and other sports in his 25 years with the BBC.

"This was always going to be a difficult decision," he said.

"But a chance to join one of the world's top broadcasters on day one of a new channel was too good to reject."

Head of BBC TV Sport Philip Bernie said: "Ray has been a fantastic member of the BBC Sport team for many years and we wish him all the best for the future."

ESPN acquired the live rights for 46 Premier League matches next season following the collapse of Irish broadcaster Setanta.

Stubbs's first match fronting their coverage will be Everton v Arsenal at Goodison Park on 15 August.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/8156041.stm

Does anyone know if ESPN have announced their list of live games yet?

ESPN's first 17 live Premier League matches

Saturday 15 August Everton v Arsenal, 5.30pm

Saturday 23 August West Ham v Tottenham, 1.30pm

Monday 24 August Liverpool v Aston Villa, 8pm

Saturday 29 August Chelsea v Burnley, 12.45pm

Saturday 12 September Tottenham v Manchester United, 5.30pm

Saturday 19 September West Ham v Liverpool, 5.30pm

Saturday 26 September Fulham v Arsenal, 5.30pm

Monday 28 September Manchester City v West Ham, 8pm

Saturday 3 October Manchester United v Sunderland, 5.30pm

Monday 5 October Aston Villa v Manchester City, 8pm

Monday 19 October Fulham v Hull City, 8pm

Saturday 24 October Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers, 5.30pm

Saturday 31 October Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers, 5.30pm

Saturday 7 November Wolves v Arsenal, 5.30pm

Monday 9 November Liverpool v Birmingham City, 8pm

Saturday 21 November Manchester United v Everton, 5.30pm

Saturday 28 November Aston Villa v Tottenham, 5.30pm

Live ESPN Prem games revealed

ESPN's televised Premier League coverage will kick off with Everton v Arsenal on Saturday 15 August, with 16 other live games also announced.

The broadcaster, who has claimed the rights following the demise of Setanta Sports, will screen 46 games in total in the 2009/10 season.

The Gunners' trip to Goodison on the opening day of the campaign will be their first live game, and has been moved to a 5.15pm start.

ESPN live Premier League fixtures:

AUGUST: Saturday 15: Everton v Arsenal (5.15pm); Sunday 23: West Ham v Tottenham (1.30pm); Monday 24: Liverpool v Aston Villa (8.00pm); Saturday 29: Chelsea v Burnley (12.45pm).

SEPTEMBER: Saturday 12: Tottenham v Manchester United (5.15pm); Saturday 19: West Ham v Liverpool (5.15pm); Saturday 26: Fulham v Arsenal (5.15pm); Monday 28: Manchester City v West Ham (8.00pm).

OCTOBER: Saturday 3: Manchester United v Sunderland (5.15pm); Monday 5: Aston Villa v Manchester City (8.00pm); Monday 19: Fulham v Hull (8.00pm); Saturday 24: Chelsea v Blackburn (5.15pm); Saturday 31: Manchester United v Blackburn (5.15pm).

NOVEMBER: Saturday 7: Wolves v Arsenal (5.15pm); Monday 9: Liverpool v Birmingham (8.00pm); Saturday 21: Manchester United v Everton (5.15pm); Saturday 28: Aston Villa v Tottenham (5.15pm).



http://soccer365.com/english_premiership/story_9709160100.php

Will i be able to get ESPN? I am on Virgin Media and did have Setanta last year.

Thanks guys!!!i looked everywhere for that list.With regards to virgin medis,talks are on going at the mo,with regards to putting it on the virgin platform.Id imagine a deal will be annouched shortly and it will be around £10/11 a month.

Back to Monday night football,what does every one think about that?

An excuse for a night in the pub,or another way they can bleed money out of us?