Disney-owned sports network ESPN has bought the rights for 46 Premier League games next season for a reported £90 million.
ESPN was able to buy the rights after previous rights-holder Setanta failed to make a £10 million payment to the Premier League on Friday. ESPN also picked up the single package of 23 matches for the three seasons from 2010/11 to 2012/13.
“We are clearly delighted that our bid for exclusive media rights to the Barclays Premier League matches in the UK has been successful,” said Lynne Frank, ESPN MD in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
“This is a huge step for our business, and we look forward to working with the Premier League, football clubs and distributors to bring UK sports fans all the excitement they expect in Premier League football.”
ESPN says it will make the Premier League coverage “widely available across multiple pay-TV platforms”. An agreement has already been secured with BSkyB to retail the coverage to residential and commercial customers. However it is unknown whether coverage will be shown on ESPN’s two existing channels, ESPN Classic and ESPN America, or if a new channel will be created.
It is believed that the Scottish Premier League is in talks with BSkyB after it announced it had also withdrawn its live rights from Setanta.
