For those that were thinking about getting a Dish etc

[Red_Al_77]

From next season Artsport have lost the TV rights to the EPL....

Showtime Arabia wins Premier League
for Seasons 2007/8 to 2009/10




Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 12 November 2006


Showtime Arabia announced today that the world’s most popular and watched sporting league, the Premier League, will be available exclusively on Showtime Arabia, the best pay television network across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Showtime Arabia has acquired the broadcast rights for three seasons starting in August 2007.

Famous clubs, world-class players, passionate fans, and a way of life for millions, the Premier League is widely acknowledged as the most exciting football competition in the world. Premier League matches are broadcast every week during the season in over 200 countries around the world and followed by over a billion fans.

Mr. Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League, said “We are extremely pleased to have awarded the broadcast rights to Showtime Arabia. We believe Showtime Arabia has the perfect platform on which to further raise the profile of the Premier League in a region which has shown great appetite for football. We look forward to working with them to bring all of the very best of the Premier League action to homes across the region”.

“Acquiring these rights is absolutely in line with Showtime Arabia’s strategy to provide our customers with the very best in entertainment, including exclusive premium sports, movies, and series.” said Mr. Faisal Al Ayyar, Chairman of Showtime Arabia. “The Premier League’s choice of Showtime Arabia is a reflection of our leadership in the MENA region. Showtime Arabia values their trust and will work closely with them to execute a strategy which clearly articulates the high quality value of the league and leverages the strength of the Showtime brand and network across the region.”

Building upon its leading technology platform, Showtime Arabia will set new standards for the production and broadcast of Premier League matches. In both Arabic and English language, the innovative coverage will further distinguish Showtime Arabia as the leading pay television operator in the region.


About The Premier League
The Premier League broadcasts 380 live football matches to over 200 countries and over 1 billion people every week. The world’s most popular league is increasingly the home for many of the best international football players, including Michael Ballack, Andrei Schevchenko, Christiano Ronaldo, Mido, Cesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney, and Thierry Henry playing for some of the world’s biggest football clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool.


About Showtime Arabia
Showtime Arabia is the leading pay televison network in the Middle East and North Africa. The company provides customers across the region with the very best in exclusive premium sports, Arabic movies on Al Shasha, and blockbuster movies and series through its exclusive relationships with major Hollywood studios. The network is owned by Gulf DTH, which is a joint venture between KIPCO and Viacom.


So what does all this mean?

Well its a harder signal to get in most areas. You'll need a 1.8m dish probably. There is no clue as yet whether a/ they will have as many channels as Artsport b/ whether comms will be in English. Its also off a different satellite (7W)

So what's the alternative? Well there is canal+ and digitalb and nova but none match Artsport and they cost more. You'll always find the games somewhere but Artsport was so easy.

The bottom line is the FA/EPL/Netresult are putting the squeeze on everywhere. It doesn't look great for next season at present. The Chinese told the EPL to piss off but they are trying to put the pressure now on the likes of sopcast etc. It's a rapidly changing scene.

[Morph]

Not happy about this, I look forward to going down the boozer of a weekend, hopefully they will get the necessary kit in to pick it up.

[kopdan]

A question...

how come Star Sports can show live games? They have a dedicated show that has presenters, they show half time goals and I am unsure how they can see this but in the UK, we cannot.

do they have a special license?

Why can foreign channels watch live football on saturdays but not UK?

[AFII]

If they showed live football on Saturdays in the U.K then it may be less people watching the game live at the stadiums.

[Rocket]

i thought it was all to do with them not wanting to discourage fans going to see the **** games when they could sit on their arses and watch it on tv

[AFII]

Rocket, Can you change your signature from LFClove to AFII.

[Red_Al_77]

Star Sports have a contract with the EPL / Sky to show the EPL abroad. Its only in the UK that the 3pm games are not shown live because the FA are worried over attendances. Thus broadcasting restrictions are in place for the UK for 3pm games. All the camera shots you see on Star Sports etc are Sky cameras who are actually filming and selling to Star Sports / ESPN etc but they just can't show it here at 3pm.

[kopdan]

Well I knew about the cameras / commentating but wasnt sure what the hoohaa about streaming was. If its available over there, there should be no issue with us getting it via satelliate / internet.

[Guest]

Well I knew about the cameras / commentating but wasnt sure what the hoohaa about streaming was. If its available over there, there should be no issue with us getting it via satelliate / internet.

It's more difficult to control things over the internet as it's a completely (or close to that) democratic paradigm. Television cartels tend to control most things these days.

[Red_Al_77]

Well I knew about the cameras / commentating but wasnt sure what the hoohaa about streaming was. If its available over there, there should be no issue with us getting it via satelliate / internet.

satellite will need a big dish now. Internet depends on the EPL. I'd say it isn't worth rushing out to get a dish until the beginning of next season.

[kopdan]

FA are just ****s aint they. Attendances wouldnt plummet at all.

[G]

A poster on a satellite forum has said that ART are looking at doing a deal to get third party rights to the Premiership from french channel TPS so all may not be lost.Apparantly a similar deal has been done in the UK where BT vision bought the rights from Setanta.interesting months ahead.

[Guest]

FA are just ****s aint they. Attendances wouldnt plummet at all.

It's probably the fact that they don't want to take a risk on that as there's too much money at stake.

[Mumsafan]

It's probably the fact that they don't want to take a risk on that as there's too much money at stake.

They are idiots. Dan is right, nothing would change.

[DeeGame]

Rocket, Can you change your signature from LFClove to AFII.

he cant because he has ignored your message