BT in talks to acquire ESPN’s UK football rights

UK telecommunications company BT is in talks with ESPN about acquiring the pay-television sports broadcaster’s football rights, according to the Financial Times.

The newspaper said that BT was negotiating the possible acquisition of ESPN’s rights to the German Bundesliga top division, the English FA Cup knockout tournament and the Uefa Europa League club competition. All of the deals run beyond the end of the current 2012-13 season, and the rights would be worth a collective total of about £20 million (€23.6 million/$31.6 million) per year, the report added.

UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB, the primary domestic live rights-holder to the English Premier League, the top division of football in the country, is also interested in ESPN’s rights, the newspaper said.

ESPN’s parent company, media conglomerate Disney, is considering closing down the broadcaster’s main pay-television channel after it was outbid by BT for the live rights to the Premier League and the top-tier rugby union Premiership from the start of the 2013-14 season.