BBC loses out to talkSPORT for Premier League football rights

The BBC has lost out to talkSPORT for the rights to broadcast late Saturday afternoon and early Sunday Premier League football matches from next season.

The Premier league was offering seven radio rights packages, with talkSPORT winning two and increasing the number of live games it will air from 32 to 64 in a three-year deal beginning with the 2010-2011 season.

It follows Absolute Radio’s move last week to secure the seventh rights package, which allows it to broadcast matches at 3pm on Saturdays.

The BBC has won four of the rights packages, reducing the number of games it broadcasts from 192 currently to 128 from next season.

Scott Taunton, talkSPORT chief executive, said: “This is a great day for TalkSport and commercial radio in the UK. To have won the rights to broadcast live and exclusive Barclays Premier League football on both a Saturday and a Sunday, when no other national radio broadcaster – including the BBC has commentary, puts the station at the very heart of Premier League football in the UK.

“Our distinctive, passionate and energetic approach to Premier League commentaries has proved to have widespread appeal. We’re now able to provide listeners and advertisers with the best Premier League action through our live commentaries as well as all the up-to-the-minute action from around the grounds.”

Richard Scudamore, Premier League chief executive, said: “We are extremely pleased that we’ve been able to continue and develop our relationship with TalkSport and that the station will now be home to not one, but two live and exclusive Barclays Premier League matches every weekend.”