Dutch cable operator Ziggo has confirmed it will launch a new sports channel on November 12.
Reports over the launch of Ziggo Sport first emerged in August, but the company has now said it will commence broadcasting next week and will be available at no additional cost to its digital-television subscribers.
Ziggo said the launch has been made possible following its merger with fellow cable operator UPC earlier this year. The new channel’s sports content will include national team football in the shape of Uefa European Championships and Fifa World Cup qualifiers, Formula One motor racing, North American basketball league the NBA and club football competitions the Spanish LaLiga and Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Ziggo said it will also showcase domestic hockey and basketball leagues, with an ambition to shine a spotlight on more Dutch sport.
Ziggo Sport will also call on the sports rights which are owned by Liberty Global’s pay-television service Sport1. The premium channels will be rebranded as Ziggo Sport Totaal.
Baptiest Coopmans, chief executive of Ziggo, said: “We have over the past year merged two regional companies (UPC and Ziggo) into one national cable and media company. We did this because we want to be able to offer our customers in the coming years better products, services, content and innovation.
“Our customers have very fast internet, the Horizon television platform, watching TV everywhere via our award-winning app Horizon Go, easy to catch up TV programmes with Replay TV and more than 2,000 films and series via MyPrime. Joining forces makes launching Ziggo Sport now possible. We do this because we are convinced of the value of sports and entertainment for our customers.”