New TV deal Q&A

The Scottish Premier League earlier this month announced a new broadcasting deal with Sky and ESPN ahead of the 2009/10 campaign which begins on Saturday August 15.

How long is the contract for? The deal will last until the end of 2011/12, with the option of extending to the 2013/14 season.

How many games will be covered? As has been the case in recent years, a total of 60 Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches will be screened live each season. Eleven live matches across the first eight fixture rounds were announced last week.

How will the matches be split up? Sky Sports and ESPN will each cover 30 games a season. 

When will the games be broadcast? Live TV slots will largely remain the same – Saturday lunchtimes, Sunday lunchtimes, Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings.

Can I see the action in High Definition? Yes. For the first time, all live Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches will be broadcast in both High Definition and Standard Definition formats.

How do I access ESPN? ESPN are launching a new service on Monday August 3 which can accessed via Sky channel 417, with a High Definition offering on 443. They have agreed a deal with Virgin media that means customers who subscribe to Virgin Media’s XL TV will be able to watch ESPN at no additional cost. They are currently discussing distribution deals with other platform operators. ESPN also have the rights to 46 English Premiership games in 2009/10 and 23 live games for the following three seasons which will be screened on the new channel.

Will there be a charge to watch ESPN? ESPN wants to make the new channel as widely available as possible and is in discussions with all Pay-TV platforms in the UK. As a first step for residential customers, ESPN will be available on a premium subscription basis – £9 a month to Sky Sports subscribers and £12 a month to other Sky customers.