The Premier League will launch a 24/7 TV service next season with all of the content available for selection by TV rights holders around the world except Great Britain.
The types of TV programming available will include classic Premier League matches, studio discussions, news and feature shows. So, for example, Fox Soccer Channel would be able to cherry pick any programming from the Premier League’s TV service and make it available for viewers in the United States.
The channel will be produced by the Premier League’s own production company, Premier League Productions, which is a joint venture between TWI and the league.
The benefit of the Premier League launching the TV service is that soccer networks such as Fox Soccer Channel will have the choice of adding more quality Premier League programs to its network. The Premier League TV service is looking for a host (James Richardson, anyone?) who will be the face of the channel.
What do you think? What ideas do you have for TV programs that would make the Premier League TV service more attractive to rights holders worldwide? Share your feedback below.
instead of fox picking and choosing programming off the channel, it would be neat if we could get the channel outright here in the states (as a premium of course)
however, this would help fox fill in the gaps on their channels if they’re not picking up any other leagues.
We already get programs produced by Premier League Productions, like Premier League Preview Show and Premier League Review Show. I assume Premier League World and any EPL classic matches are their productions as well. This sounds like an expansion of those programs into a full-time feed.
What interests me most about this developement is the addition of news and studio discussions, which would be new programs for us. I would love to get EPL news and commentary that are much more in-depth than what we get from Sky Sports News and Fox Soccer Report.
Why will this not broadcast in Britain? Compare UK PL coverage to US NFL/MLB coverage and we get such a raw deal. Sky Sports News is frankly an advert for everything and anything shown on Sky. There’s almost no competition for football analysis or football shows at all – just Sky.
We get screwed over because Sky has a monopoly on the Premier League and very tightly controls everything to do with it.
If you look at for example Match of the Day which is the catch up program on the BBC you won’t find it on iPlayer due to Sky’s crappy policies.
It’s not all bad though ofcom are investigating them and it looks like Sky will be getting whats coming to them in as little as a months time:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1253832/Virgin-Media-target-BSkyB-cut-price-football-deals.html
At the moment Sky have a monopoly on the HD sports channels and charge Virgin Media so much to rent the Sky Sports package, Virgin Media actually lose money selling them to customers.
Lets hope OFCOM give Sky whats been coming to them and force them to open the Sky Sports and PL games. BT has been quoted as saying if the OFCOM is positive they will offer the entire Sky Sports package for as little as £15 – £17.
About time, I’m sick of SKY thinking thinking they can charge what they like. A little competition can only be good for the paying customer.
James Richardson would be a great choice. We need replacement shows for Football Matters and Friday Football Show.
I want to see the best goals,the best player for each match played at each venue displayed on this TV till the nest games thank U
I want a show on the WAGS of the EPL
Special 1 TV now that channel would be a great home.
Help clear this up for me. In the US we have the NFL Network which is a dedicated 24/7 channel with live games during the season. Will the Prem channel be a channel you can purchase on your cable system for full time viewing or will a local rights holder like FSC just be able to purchase programming?
eplnfl, the latter – which to me is quite disappointing. I was hoping for more. Oh well.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
Thanks Chris, and yes.
There is no way on God’s earth that James Richardson should end up presenting this. How SKY or ESPN have not gone for him yet I have no idea. The best football broadcaster bar none.
“Premier League TV” appears to be a “backdrop programming” service that is tailor-made for “premium” soccer channels such as FS+, which can simulcast “Premier League TV” to fill large blocks of time 1) during overnight hours, and 2) 24/7 for 2 months during the summer in order to save production costs when most monthly a-la-carte subscribers unsubscribe en masse.
I really wish ESPN would add another channel and select some of these shows to throw on it. I’m sick of NFL Countdown in May and MLB Live in February.
wouldn’t James Richardson be a little to edgy for Premier League’s in house production unit?
Wow, do my eyes deceive me or does foxsoccer.tv live linueup look great! If that is accurate, showing six live prem league, two live champ league, four live fa cup, and more in the next two weeks then I am VERY happy. I will have to subscribe! Any word on it’s quality? I have been a setanta-I subscriber for some time so wondering if it is better or comparable. Good move fsc I must say since fsc+ so limited now.
Are channels such as FSC or FS+ carrying thesee feeds now? I saw a pretty slick opening sequence to the Blackburn v Everton and the ESPN broadcast of Man CIty v Spurs. They looked great and the Review show was excellent. So I would assume FSC and FS+ are already using the Premier League Productions feeds????
Wil
The matches are separate from the TV service. The TV service provides backdrop programming. FSC has used IMG feeds for years.