ESPN renews EPL archive deal

Sports broadcaster ESPN Classic has renewed and enhanced its deal for the rights to English Premier League (EPL) archive footage in a multi-year deal starting with the opening of the 2010/11 season.

ESPN Classic will be able to show 100 classic EPL matches per season. The agreement also increases ESPN’s access to various EPL compilation programmes from 25 to 40 hours a season. The deal also allows ESPN to use short clips of EPL games in programming on ESPN’s network of channels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It can also air classic games via video-on-demand platforms.

The broadcaster holds rights to broadcast certain live EPL matches on ESPN and ESPN HD in the UK, and has exclusive mobile highlight rights to all 380 matches per season over the next three seasons.

Separately, ESPN has renewed its agreements to broadcast live and exclusive coverage from Italy’s Serie A league and America’s Major League Soccer league in the UK. It will broadcast ESPN Kicks – Serie A, showing goals from the weekend, and, a weekly preview show, Total Italian Football. ESPN’s coverage of Major League Soccer includes the broadcast of weekly MLS regular season games as well as access to all of the league’s playoff matches.

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