The FAPL signed a three-year deal with Fox Sports World to boost existing coverage. It has also signed a four-year deal with the English FA for the rights to England games and FA Cup action.
Fox Sports World retains the North American television rights to all FAPL matches through the 2006/2007 season. The FAPL made its North American television debut on Fox Sports World in 1998, with the network carrying 180 live games last season.
Under its new, expanded agreement with the FAPL, Fox Sports World will add between 12 and 18 live Saturday late-afternoon matches to its current line-up when the new 2004/2005 season kicks off in August. Total telecasts will include as many as 195 matches per season for the next three years, plus extensive coverage in Spanish on the Fox Sports en Espanol network.
In a separate negotiation with the FA, Fox Sports World secured exclusive North American rights for the next four seasons to the English FA Cup, plus rights to the England national team's home qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup; the season-opening Community Shield match, and the Euro 2008 championship qualifiers.
Said David Sternberg, senior vice president and general manager of Fox Sports World: “Over the past six seasons, we have introduced the Barclays English Premier League to a whole new market of soccer enthusiasts, and we look forward to doing the same for the England national team and the FA Cup while building on our success with enhanced coverage of the Premiership."
