ESPN Strikes Virgin Media Deal
ESPN has struck a distribution deal with Virgin Media which will give the cable network’s subscribers access to the broadcaster’s new live Premier League coverage.
The deal sees ESPN offer live Premier League coverage free next month as an introductory offer to all Virgin Media customers and follows on from a carriage deal struck with rival pay-TV network Sky.
Disney-owned ESPN is launching a new UK cable and satellite subscription channel, and a high definition service, to carry its 46 live Premier League matches and 30 Scottish Premier League for next season on 3th August.
The 2009-10 season starts on 15th August, when ESPN will have live coverage of Everton v Arsenal, hosted by the former BBC presenter Ray Stubbs.
Under the deal, Virgin Media’s 3.5 million cable TV customers will gain free access to matches aired by ESPN during August on both its standard and high definition channels.
After that, subscribers to Virgin’s XL TV channels package will get ESPN’s new UK sports channel and its archive programming service, ESPN Classic, free.
This is the same arrangement Virgin Media had with Setanta, the former holder of the Premier League and SPL rights that passed to ESPN after the Irish pay-TV broadcaster went into administration in late June.
Subscribers to Virgin Media’s M or L packages will be able to subscribe to ESPN’s new sports channel for £8 a month, if they already subscribe to any combination of the Sky Sports services, or £10 a month if not.
Following the demise of Setanta’s UK business, ESPN won the right to show 46 live Premier League matches for the 2009/10 season, and 23 matches a season for the following three years.
Earlier this month, the Scottish Premier League’s 12 clubs agreed a £65m deal with Sky and ESPN to screen 60 live Premier League games apiece each season for the next three years across the UK and Ireland.
