talkSPORT Wins Exclusive Football Rights
talkSPORT has secured the exclusive live commentary rights to 32 top-flight domestic football games on Saturday afternoons next season for three seasons, after winning an auction for the rights organised by the Premier League.
The win makes the speech station the first national commercial radio station to broadcast live top-flight domestic football games since the BBC first aired live football commentary of Arsenal Vs Sheffield United in 1927.
Scott Taunton, managing director of UTV Radio, which owns talkSPORT, said: “After 80 years of hurt, this is a historic day for talkSPORT and commercial radio in the UK. To have won the rights to broadcast live Premier League football at 3pm on a Saturday, at a time when television is unable to broadcast, is the jewel in our crown. What’s more, it is a deal that makes sound commercial sense and allows us to vigorously market and promote each and every game.
“For the first time, people will be able to hear a very different style of top-flight English football commentary from the traditional sound of the BBC that they have been listening to for 80 years. We believe that our distinctive, passionate and energetic approach will appeal not only to our current listeners but to many more people who will enjoy our live commentary as well as all the up-to-the-minute action from around the grounds.”
The station plans to reschedule its Saturday programming with a pre-match build-up and post match phone-ins to further enhance the station’s football coverage on the weekend. With the last RAJAR figures showing the station’s weekly reach up 0.36% but its share of listening down 0.10% year on year, the deal should boost the station’s profile (see Digital Radio Audiences Continue To Grow).
Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome talkSPORT as a new national live rights holder and look forward to working closely with them as we seek to offer fans increased choice and accessibility to follow the best Premier League action.”
talkSPORT: 020 7959 7800 www.talksport.co.uk