BT Vision signs up ESPN’s news sports channel to offer fans football and sports

BT Vision and ESPN have agreed a deal for the new ESPN channel, which will offer live Barclays Premier League and Clydesdale Bank Premier League football as well a wide range of international football and other sports.

ESPN has bought the exclusive rights to the 46 Live Barclays Premier League matches in the 2009/10 season and 23 matches a season from 2010-2013.

ESPN’s coverage of the Barclays Premier League on BT Vision kicks off on Saturday, August 15, with live and exclusive coverage of Everton v Arsenal, followed by the London derby, West Ham v Tottenham on Sunday, August 23.

Fans of Scottish football will be able to follow the action and drama from the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with live and exclusive coverage of 30 games a season on ESPN. Every one of the 12 Scottish Premier League clubs will be featured.

In addition to ESPN’s 30 exclusive live matches per season, BT Vision will give customers at least 28 exclusive on-demand Celtic or Rangers matches, which will be available at 10.00pm on the day of the match.

ESPN has announced it has acquired additional football rights, including top flight German, Portuguese, Russian and Dutch league football, as well as USA Major
League Soccer and these will also feature on BT Vision.

Marc Watson, chief executive of television and online services, BT Retail, said: “We want BT Vision to offer the best value and all-round entertainment - which naturally includes the very best of sport. So the new deal with ESPN is great news for customers. But the best news is that ESPN’s top-quality sports coverage is provided by BT Vision at no additional cost to customers on our Bronze, Silver or Gold packages.”

Lynne Frank, managing director for ESPN in Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are delighted to team with BT Vision to offer their customers ESPN’s exciting range of Premier League football and the best in international and US sports. ESPN is set to be a must-have for fans and we are thrilled that the channel is going to be available on BT Vision and other major television platforms.”

As well as ESPN, BT Vision offers Vision Sport. During the 2009/10 season, football fans can see 242 Barclays Premier League matches just hours after the final whistle. Followers of Motorsport can enjoy every race from the 2009 Moto GP World Championship and action from the FIA GT Championship and grapple fans can watch the latest from TNA Wrestling.

Vision Sport also offers viewers a huge archive of classic sport including boxing, cricket and rugby.

ESPN is available with BT Vision’s Bronze, Silver or Gold Value Packs at no extra cost, with prices starting from £7.34 a month for the first three months, £14.68 per month thereafter. Other pricing combinations are available on request.


Notes to editors

About ESPN

Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN, Inc. is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

ESPN International has grown to include ownership — in whole or in part — of over 45 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of brand extension businesses, which allow ESPN to reach fans in 200 countries and territories. In the UK, ESPN now includes a portfolio of television and digital brands including ESPN Classic, ESPN America, ESPNcricinfo.com, ESPNscrum.com, ESPNsoccernet.com, ESPN360.com and Racing-live.com.
On June 22, 2009, ESPN was awarded the exclusive rights to 46 Live Barclays Premier League matches in the 2009-10 Season and 23 matches a season from 2010-2013.
ESPN has also been awarded exclusive live rights to Clydesdale Bank Premier League games for the next five seasons, showing 30 live games each season across the UK and Ireland, starting with the 2009-10 campaign this August and games from the German, Dutch, Russian and Portuguese national football leagues. ESPN has also secured multiyear UK and Ireland rights to air the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Top 14 Orange (French Rugby Championship) and the Australian Football League (AFL).