Satellite News

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Revamped ESPN channel may show EPL

ESPN may launch a revamped version of its ESPN America channel to show the recently secured Premier League matches, DS has learned.

It was announced on Monday that the Disney-owned firm had acquired the Premier League rights previously owned by collapsed Irish broadcaster Setanta.

Damion Potter, ESPN communications director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific Rim, described the win as a "huge step for our business in the UK".

He added: "We said we were interested in building our business here; that is exactly what we will do with this acquisition.

"We look forward to working with the Premier League, football clubs and distributors to bring English sports fans high-quality coverage of their favourite teams."

A deal is already in place with Sky to distribute the matches to residential and commercial customers on an a la carte basis.

Meanwhile, the company is also talking to the other platform holders, including Virgin Media, about retail partnerships.

It has previously been suggested that ESPN plans to launch a new standalone channel for broadcasting the games.

However, DS has learned that this is just one possible solution, with the other being to host the matches on a revamped version of ESPN America.

Following the demise of Setanta, the channel will continue running on a standalone basis on Virgin Media, while Sky will offer it as part of the News and Events television pack.

Despite this, the arrangement is just an interim solution to ensure seamless access to the channel's US sports coverage for viewers.

"We have come to this interim solution to make sure that US sports fans and existing subscribers to ESPN America can continue to enjoy watching the channel whilst we make permanent arrangements," said Potter.

The company is currently discussing firmer plans for the future of ESPN America, with a vehicle for Premier League games believed to be among the options.

On the possibility of ESPN bidding for other sports rights, including Scottish Premier League games, Potter reiterated: "We're interested in rights where they are available and they make business sense."

He also said that the firm has "met with a number of production companies" about covering the Premier League matches ahead of the start of the new season in eight weeks.

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Christine Brand has been named as the new managing director of MGM Networks (Deutschland) GmbH. It follows the departure of Marcus Ammon to Sky Germany, where he will be vice president, film.

“I have worked with Christine for many years and she has developed and grown into a talented and incredibly skilful programmer and manager,” said Bruce Tuchman, President, MGM Networks. “She was the first employee I recruited to join the MGM Channel in Germany when we launched and has made great contributions in our efforts to expand the channel in Germany as well as other markets around the world. “ Tuchman went on to thank Ammon for his six years at MGM and said the company was looking forward to working with him at Sky.

Brand joined MGM in 2003, and was most recently director of programming and on air promotion for the MGM Channel in Germany. She was previously director of programmes at Fox Kids Germany having begun her career with Nickelodeon Global Networks Ventures in London, Dusseldorf, Germany, and Singapore.

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Discovery Networks Central Europe, a division of Discovery Communications, has announced a number of promotions.

They include that of Barbara Bilinska, channel manager of Discovery Historia, who now becomes channel director and will from July 1 be responsible for all Discovery channels in Poland; and Magda Szczawinska, previously on-air creative director Discovery Networks CE and now channel manager Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia from July 1.

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Eurosport has the secured TV rights for the 2009 US PGA Tour season which were previously owned by collapsed broadcaster Setanta.

All action from the 2009 Tour will now be aired on British Eurosport and British Eurosport 2 on satellite and digital cable, while also being simulcast on the broadcaster's online subscription service Eurosport Player.
"We are delighted to welcome the US PGA Tour to the Eurosport platform in the UK," said Eurosport chairman Laurent Eric Le Lay.

"British golf fans can now see the world’s best players competing live as the 2009 season unfolds. We can give the US PGA Tour's iconic tournaments excellent coverage across our two UK TV channels, and fans can follow regular news and results at Eurosport’s leading sports website."
Dave Kerr, Eurosport UK's director of broadcast, added: "The US PGA Tour is a great sports series and we are delighted that we can bring the live coverage to a wider audience of golf fans than ever before.

"With the retention of Moto GP, the recent acquisition of British Superbikes and now the arrival of US PGA Golf, our channels are becoming more and more attractive and exciting to UK viewers and we look forward to welcoming golf fans to a channel that has long been a destination for passionate fans of our other major sports."

Coverage has already begun with the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, which runs until June 28.

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NBC Universal is set to replace The Hallmark Channel UK with the Universal Channel in the next few months as part of an overall shake up of its pay-TV channels in the UK.

The Universal Channel currently airs across Latin America, Asia and in Europe and the move is expected to be officially announced at the end of July. It is also considering rebranding its Diva TV, Sci Fi and Movies 24 channels to bring them closer to the NBC Universal brand.

The Hollywood studio acquired Sparrowhawk Media last year.

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SES Astra said it had received “ongoing requests from major customers” for capacity which will shortly be vacated by UPC Direct, after UPC’s DTH operation over Europe shifted its from SES Astra and its 19.2 deg East cluster of satellites, to Telenor’s 1 deg West position.

UPC is taking a total of 7 transponders from Telenor, and the deal is a significant ‘win’ for the Oslo-based satellite operator. The UPC contract with Astra expires in 2010, and Astra insiders say they have been anticipating the move for some time, and that they are confident that demand will quickly mop up the – then – spare capacity.

Alexander Oudendijk, COO of SES Astra, said: “Our confidence is based on the considerable demand from Western European key markets and strong dynamics in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The dynamics of the CEE markets are demonstrated by the impressive growth of customers like CS Link and Skylink which gained nearly 1 million subscribers in a very short period of time.”

Oudendijk added that the 5 transponders vacated by UPC Direct would “help us to meet current demand and customer requests for capacity at our prime orbital position”, including for capacity for high definition TV channels.

While most see the UPC decision as a solid long-term business win for Telenor (which will use some of its Thor 6 capacity, due for launch later this year, to fulfil the contract) it is generally accepted that the terms must have been extremely attractive to UPC which must now re-align some 330,000 homes beginning in the late Spring on next year – and this is an expensive process.

Most of UPC Direct’s subscribers live in Hungary, the Czech Republic or Slovakia, and these areas are very much part of the neighbourhood that Telenor is keen to be serving. Telenor now serves some 2m homes in Central and Eastern Europe. Astra’s demand tends to come from Western Europe.

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MTV Networks is taking its high definition channel MTV Networks High Definition (MTVN HD) to Switzerland, where the channel will be available from July 15 on cable network group QuickLine.

“With MTVN HD’s razor sharp images and perfect sound quality we are taking viewers directly to the concert stage,” said Roger Elsener, managing director of MTV Networks Schweiz. “We are pleased that with the innovative cable group QuickLine we have found the first strong partner in Switzerland for the distribution of our high definition channel.”

MTVN HD screens concerts and events such as MTV Unplugged, MTV World Stage and VH1 Storytellers, awards ceremonies like the MTV Video Music Awards or the MTV Europe Music Awards as well as coverage of international music festivals such as the Roskilde Festival and the Oxegen Festival. On weekends a Nickelodeon window with cartoon series is shown, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar and Jimmy Neutron.

In neighbouring Germany the channel is available on Deutsche Telekom’s IPTV platform T-Home Entertain. Distribution in Austria is also planned.