ESPN has picked up the rights for the same matches it has already acquired in the UK. Setanta’s rights for 33 Saturday afternoon 3pm matches are also back on the market. Setanta had agreed a three-year deal for 79 Premier League matches a season back in 2006, covering the 2007-08 to 2009-10 seasons. Between it and BSkyB, rights fees for the period amounted to a record £82 million.
The future of Setanta’s Irish business is precarious with founders Leonard Ryan and Michael O’Rourke and minority shareholder Denis Desmond battling to save the company.
ESPN is to launch a new channel with Premier League matches in the UK on August 3.