As most readers will no doubt be aware, ESPN recently bought the FAPL and SPL rights following the collapse of Setanta, just in time for the start of the new football season.
But in a clear declaration of how strategically important the new channel is for parent company Disney, they have just announced that they have secured a number of new TV sports rights.
ESPN will broadcast martial arts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Australian Football League and the Top 14 French rugby championships. All will be shown live on the new ESPN channel to launch on 3 August.
ESPN says Ultimate Fighting Championships is the fastest growing sports organization in the world, with competitions using a mixture of martial arts.
France’s rugby championship – called Top 14 Orange – will be aired weekly from 15
August and the Australian Football League match will be aired from 7 August.
The German Touring Car series will be aired from 16 August while the European Basketball Championships will air from 7 September, when it takes place in Poland.
This comes just a day after ESPN announced that it will not only be retailed by Sky in the UK, but also Virgin Media.
Pricing for Sky TV customers who have Sky Sports will be £9 per month and £12 per month for all other Sky TV customers.
The ESPN channel will be slightly cheaper when bought as part of a Virgin Media TV package. Customers who subscribe to Virgin Media’s XL TV pack will be able to watch ESPN and ESPN HD at no additional cost. As part of the deal, these subscribers will also receive ESPN Classic, featuring the greatest moments of UK and European sport. And Virgin Media TV customers on the M or L pack will be able to subscribe to ESPN and ESPN HD for £8 a month if they already subscribe to any combination of the Sky Sports channels, or £10 a month if not.
The pricing is therefore pretty confusing, so don’t hesitate to talk to our impartial experts if you would like help to compare digital TV packages and prices. You can call free on 0800 466 1047.