UKTV To Launch Sports Channel

UKTV is to launch a dedicated sports channel later this month, according to reports this morning, with the name UKTV Sport being used in a soft launch next week.

According to the Guardian, the new channel is the result of extra funding secured by UKTV, which has enabled the project to go ahead after years of speculation.

The new channel’s programming will be created mainly by TWI, with a new sports series entitled UKTV Sport featuring prominently in the schedules.

The launch of a dedicated sports channel comes just days after cable operator ntl confirmed that it was in no hurry to sell off UKTV’s parent company Flextech, following its merger with overall owner Telewest.

Simon Duffy, chief executive of ntl, told reporters on a conference call that the company plans to keep Flextech as an “integral part” of the new group, explaining that its importance as a “strategic asset” made it more valuable to the company than the funds which could be raised through an auction (see Ntl In No Rush To Sell Off Flextech).

The new sports channel also arrives shortly after reports that ntl and Telewest will seek control of several Premiership football rights when the the post-2007 contracts are auctioned next year (see Cable Giants Set To Make Premiership Bid).

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