Sky Buy The Champions League Broadcasting Rights

[Guest LondonScottish]

BskyB won the rights to broadcast almost all Champions League matches from 2009 through 2012, for

[uni_don]

FFS, Sky's dominance becomes even more complete.

[Proud9]

They do give it the best coverage though.

 

Think my house is getting rid of sky and getting freeview, only thing i watch on Sky that isn't on freeview would be the sky sports football.

[K-9]

So basically same as now?

[uni_don]

They do give it the best coverage though.

But on the other hand, they do charge a lot to watch it.

 

So basically same as now?

LS said "There will be only one game on a Wednesday available to either BBC or ITV." That seems to imply the terrestrial channels will get a choice of one game Sky don't want. I could be wrong though.

[Guest SS RED]

ITV or BBC 1 will get first choice on a wed and sky will get all other games.

[sheep_shagger]

At the moment ITV get access to all the British teams on that night and Sky cant show the goals from those games at all.

 

I take it this will be the major change?

[uni_don]

ITV or BBC 1 will get first choice on a wed and sky will get all other games.

Ok, so non-Sky customers are worse off because we'll only be able to watch one game, regardless of regional variations. No more switching between ITV1 England, ITV4 and STV then.

[K-9]

LS said "There will be only one game on a Wednesday available to either BBC or ITV." That seems to imply the terrestrial channels will get a choice of one game Sky don't want. I could be wrong though.

Same as now except game on terrestrial TV is Tuesday. At present all Wednesday games are on Sky.

[K-9]

Story sounds like only Wednesday rights have been sold so far with Tuesday live rights still up for grabs. And terrestrial TV has first choice of Wednesday game:

 

 

 

 

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB has won the right to show most Champions League football matches between 2009 to 2012.

Tournament organiser Uefa said the firm had secured rights to show coverage of live matches.

 

BSkyB has also gained rights to show highlights on a Tuesday and all games on a Wednesday with the exception of the first-choice fixture.

 

Uefa said it had received bids for the remaining rights. ITV and the BBC are tipped to be interested in bidding.

 

Shares in BSkyB climbed 2.7% after the news.

 

"We have secured an excellent rights package at a price which we believe reflects their value to our customers and which recognises the increasingly attractiveness of this competition to our business," said Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of BSkyB.

[K-9]

Maybe not - from Sky Sports:

 

Sky Sports has been awarded a new deal for the UEFA Champions League that will offer even more live coverage than ever.

 

 

 

Under the three-year agreement, which covers the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, Sky Sports will show more live UEFA Champions League football than ever before.

 

 

With more midweek matches than the current deal, additional qualifying matches and the last 16 stage played across eight match-days, there will be an increase in both the number of live games and the number of nights of European football on Sky Sports.

 

 

The new deal will give Sky live coverage of up to 15 live matches per week, across both match nights, including:

 

 

 

Exclusive Tuesdays

 

Every Tuesday match exclusively live throughout the tournament, bringing up to eight live games on Group Stage nights.

 

 

 

Wednesdays

 

All but one match exclusively live each Wednesday throughout the tournament, with up to seven live games on Group Stage nights.

 

 

 

Semi-Finals and Final

 

Exclusive live coverage of one leg from each Semi-Final and shared live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final and the UEFA Super Cup.

 

 

 

Qualifying

 

For the first time, live coverage from the final round of Qualifying matches in August. Up to five live matches on each Tuesday and four on each Wednesday of the two-leg ties.

 

 

 

In addition to the live rights, Sky has also been awarded cross-platform rights for use on mobile and broadband as well as highlights.

 

 

Vic Wakeling, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: "Sky Sports will be able to give our viewers more live matches and more of the giants of European football.

 

 

"We have used digital technology over the last five seasons to offer a menu of live games. It has worked superbly and given viewers choice; they can decide which game to watch and they appreciate that. And we have introduced the exceptional quality of HD. This new deal means we can offer an even better service."

 

 

Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive of BSkyB, said: "We have secured an excellent rights package at a price which we believe reflects their value to our customers and which recognises the increasing attractiveness of this competition to our business.

 

 

"The Champions League as a competition is going from strength to strength, as is the performance and contribution of English and Scottish clubs."

 

 

Under the current deal, which runs until the end of the 2008-09 season, Sky Sports shows up to 14 exclusively live matches a week at the Group Stage with two live matches on ITV. Sky also streams UEFA Champions League games via broadband and offers a clips service via mobile.

 

 

On a UEFA Champions League night Sky digital viewers can pick their live game - or switch between games - by pushing the red button on their remote handset. A number of matches, including the Final and all those produced by Sky Sports in the UK, are offered in High Definition.

[davieb]

BskyB won the rights to broadcast almost all Champions League matches from 2009 through 2012, for

[vanderark14]

Won't change a thing for me, as I will never pay for Sky and their endless adverts. Freeview for me all the way!

 

 

i've cut my sky package down considerably.

 

got rid of movies and sports. left with entertainment package. the amount of adverts nowadays is beyond a joke.

 

the wide watched an episode of ugly betty on E4 recently. it started at 9pm and the adverts were on by 9.03pm.

[Dynamo]

I've got SKY but only the 'Entertainment' and Movies and some other sh*te. It's ok. If I want to watch a game that bad I'll go to the bar.

[uni_don]

the wide watched an episode of ugly betty on E4 recently. it started at 9pm and the adverts were on by 9.03pm.

Does she appreciate being called that?

 

I have Freesat and Setanta in my flat, but if I move back home in the summer and get a full-time job (as my current plan is) then I suspect my house shall be getting a Sky subscription - all they have just now is the basic 4 terrestrial channels!

 

There's also no pubs within a reasonable distance with Sky so Sky Sports and Setanta might become a necessity.

[davieb]

i've cut my sky package down considerably.

 

got rid of movies and sports. left with entertainment package. the amount of adverts nowadays is beyond a joke.

 

the wide watched an episode of ugly betty on E4 recently. it started at 9pm and the adverts were on by 9.03pm.

 

That seems to be something they have copied from the USA, cue programme titles followed by adverts, f@cking pish, esp if the show starts with a bang ... followed by friggin adverts for 5 mins.

[Dynamo]

That seems to be something they have copied from the USA, cue programme titles followed by adverts, f@cking pish, esp if the show starts with a bang ... followed by friggin adverts for 5 mins.

 

Ur better just sky +'ing it and watching it later and fast forward thru' the ads.

[KennyS]

Same as now except game on terrestrial TV is Tuesday. At present all Wednesday games are on Sky.

 

That's not the same, because you can choose between 2 games on Tuesday on freeview just now, rather than only having one or nothing.

[tutankamun]

If I want to watch a game that bad I'll go to the bar.

 

there's bound to be at least one game on per month that's worth watching and you'll spend in beer what it costs for the monthly subscritpion to Sky

[OneZanderDiamond]

Sky is brilliant - but then mine's free

[Bobby Connor]

I'm not sure if this is good or bad (for Aberdeen FC).

 

I lost interest in the 'Champions' (don't make me laugh) League a long time ago and am of the opinion that the less accessible these games are to potential young Dons fans the better.

 

Or could it be that if you're not on Sky then you're not 'cool'?

 

Either way, I couldn't give a frog's fat arse about missing out on one or two 'Champs' league games.

 

Most likely this is bad news for fans of both halves of the scum who will never get a look in against Chelsea or Man U on terrestrial TV. A Sky Sports subscription will become an absolute must for weegie bin looters and will probably drive up bin-related theft in Scotland to an unprecedented level.

 

So the moral of the story is... get yer bins padlocked folks.

[vanderark14]

champions league shmampions league. boring boring crap.

[Tord31]

In 2009 Uefa cup goes to 3 scottish teams entering, group stages same as champions league, and centralised tv contracts. Would be a big deal for AFC if we could start to get foot in the door before then in europe and get some points on board so that we could be seeded in future.

[robbo]

whats happened to itv???

 

they are losing a lot of their sport this week, first they lose the rights to the F1 since thats going to BBC from 2009 and now theyre losing the champs league aswell.

 

Im happy, love going interactive with sky sports and asking to get a goal alert in the group stages. Means you see every goal and can still watch the match you were planning on watchin.

[RUL]

Hasn't ITV won the contract to other football / ie fa cup / england and premiership that BBC1 used to have.

 

Dreading the next increase for SKY!

[Jaws]

Hasn't ITV won the contract to other football / ie fa cup / england and premiership that BBC1 used to have.

 

Dreading the next increase for SKY!

 

You're not telling me that "The Premiership" is making a comeback? For everyone's sake i hope not. Dreadful coverage and analysis. Was delighted to see MOTD return to our screens a few years back.