Amsterdam, 16 November 2006 – Digital television channel Sport1 in the Netherlands has once again acquired the exclusive television broadcast rights for the Barclays English Premier League for the seasons 2007/2008 to 2009/2010. The agreement includes the live rights and highlights across all media platforms. With the rights it has for the F.A. Cup, The Championship and The League Cup, Sport1 provides the most comprehensive coverage for the English football enthusiast.
Jeroen Oerlemans, general manager Sport1, stated that “Research has shown that the English Premier League is considered the most attractive of all the football leagues included in our extensive football programming, and the most important reason to get a subscription. This is of course partially thanks to the many Dutch Internationals who play in the Premiership, such as Robin van Persie, Arjan Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Edwin van der Sar. So we are very excited about being able to exclusively broadcast all the matches live in the coming period to the ever-growing number of digital subscribers that love football.”
Richard Scudamore, Premier League Chief Executive, said: “The Netherlands is an important market for the Premier League with highly knowledgeable supporters, so we look forward to continuing our relationship with Sport1; ensuring that all the best Premier League action is broadcast to our Dutch fans in a comprehensive and innovative manner.”
Sport1 will feature 370 Premier League matches from 20 clubs with fans being able to access up to 8 channels for broadcasting when games are being played simultaneously. The viewer is even given the opportunity to choose the most exciting matches.
At the same time, Sport1 agreed to continue sublicensing the Premier League highlights to Dutch public broadcaster NOS.
Sport1
Sport1 is a pay-TV channel owned by Chellomedia, Liberty Global Inc’s European content and digital services division. Sport1 is a 24 hr station that shows a wide variety of live sports. This station offers a maximum of 8 channels at once, allowing the viewer to decide which match they will watch. Sport1’s programming includes all the major European football league; the UEFA Champions League, the English F.A. Cup and the Copa Libertadores. Hockey, basketball, baseball, darts, golf and tennis also receive coverage. From June, Sport 1 will also offer an HDTV channel, at no cost. Viewers can get Sport1 with a subscription to a cable company or a satellite TV provider.
With the renewed acquisition of the rights for the three coming seasons, Sport1 has completed its supply of English football, and each season football lovers can enjoy live matches from the following leagues:
– The F.A. Premier League (370 matches, 20 clubs)
– The F.A. Cup (25 matches)
– The Championship (maximum of 38 matches, 24 clubs)
– The League Cup (maximum of 12 matches).