Setanta Sports sublicensed the rights to more than 90 English Premier League matches in the 2006-07 season from Fox Soccer Channel.
Setanta -- which is carried by DirecTV and GlobecastTV -- will air 62 live matches on Saturdays, 28 Sunday contests and a number of midweek games through the deal, terms of which were not disclosed.
Setanta's slate kicks off Aug. 19 with Sheffield United vs. Liverpool at 7:45 a.m. (EST), followed at 10 a.m. by Aston Villa at Arsenal in the first EPL match in the Gunners' new stadium. The next day, Setanta will cover Manchester United vs. Fulham at 8:30 a.m.
“We are very excited to bring the much-anticipated English Premier League to our current audience of expatriate soccer fans and to drive consumer awareness among a broader U.S. audience,” said Simon Green, chief executive of Setanta Sports North America, in a prepared statement.
“Our fan base expanded considerably this year with the live telecast of the World Cup. Now our fans will see some of the best matches in this, the most exciting league of them all, live and with original English commentary,” he added.
