German pay-TV platform Arena has secured the rights to English Premiership football. The three-year deal will run from the beginning of the next season. Arena, owned by cable operator Unity Media, already has the rights to Spain’s Primera Division, Italy’s Serie A and the German Bundesliga, in the process dealing a blow to rival Premiere, which will now have to share the rights.
The satellite platform has done its best to maintain its place with the German football fan, building on its Champions League coverage, and launching the Premiere Fussball package. It also markets the Arena package in some cable regions.
Premiere will still hold onto the lion’s share of the English Premiereship. Out of the 380 games during the course of the season, Premiere will have 320 games available, 280 exclusive. Arena will have a package of 100 Premiership matches of which 60 will be shown “live and exclusive”.
The erratic scheduling of England’s top-flight football matches means that Arena viewers will be able to move from the Bundesliga to the Premiership and finally the Primera Division. (JC)
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