UEFA Euro 2008 on ESPN/ABC

[joebloe888]

I am now hearing from a 3rd party that ESPN, Inc. has submitted a big bid for the U.S. TV rights to Euro 2008.

UEFA has required that at least 8 (out of 31) Euro 2008 matches be made available on "free to air" broadcast TV in each country where Euro 2008 will be aired, including those countries outside Europe.

Euro 2008 on ABC? We'll have to wait and see...

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Also, I would not be surprised if ESPN (Int'l) were to bid for the U.S. TV rights to one of the English Premier League TV packages, quite possibly with another partner (no mystery who that partner might be), against the Setanta-FOX Sports Int'l consortium.

[MasterShake29]

I am now hearing from a 3rd party that ESPN, Inc. has submitted a big bid for the U.S. TV rights to Euro 2008.

UEFA has required that at least 8 (out of 31) Euro 2008 matches be made available on "free to air" broadcast TV in each country where Euro 2008 will be aired, including those countries outside Europe.

Euro 2008 on ABC? We'll have to wait and see...

What does UEFA consider free to air? Would ESPN or ESPN2 fit in that category? I can't see 8 matches on ABC itself.

Any idea on when the winners would be announced?

Anything to keep Euro 2008 off of Setanta or PPV works for me.

[joebloe888]

What does UEFA consider free to air? Would ESPN or ESPN2 fit in that category? I can't see 8 matches on ABC itself.

Any idea on when the winners would be announced?

Anything to keep Euro 2008 off of Setanta or PPV works for me.

"Free to air" means terrestrial broadcast TV that is available with an antenna.

I suspect that UEFA and SPORTFIVE approached ESPN, Inc. with regards to the U.S. TV rights to Euro 2008, not the other way around.

ABC certainly has room to take 8 Euro 2008 games on weekend afternoons during the summer, as the only other major summer sports programming ABC has in its inventory is The (British) Open golf major.

[Cassano]

It would be nice for ESPN to get the rights. Usually when the US isn't involved they don't care but if ESPN gets them then I don't have to spend like $150 on that Setanta package again...

[OldFanatic]

"Free to air" means terrestrial broadcast TV that is available with an antenna.

I suspect that UEFA and SPORTFIVE approached ESPN, Inc. with regards to the U.S. TV rights to Euro 2008, not the other way around.

If true, it seems a bit preposterous on part of UEFA to come up with this new requirement. I can understand FIFA, but UEFA requiring terrestrial rights in places like USA, Canada, Australia?!?!?! :confused: Who do they think they are?

I know, I know. This would be great from the perspective of fans in this part of the world. But does UEFA (a regional body, as opposed to FIFA an international body) really think it has so much clout that they can demand terrestrial rights in regions it doesn't even govern? That would be somewhat akin to NFL demanding terrestrial rights in Germany, and MLB demanding terrestrial rights in Japan and so on.

Sorry, I realize this post is not directly related to the thread. Feel free to move this discussion to another thread if deemed necessary.

[Elisa Uranga]

I heard Setanta was going after the Euros. Very interesting..... I hope there is a major bidding war.

[rangers00]

ABC certainly has room to take 8 Euro 2008 games on weekend afternoons during the summer, as the only other major summer sports programming ABC has in its inventory is The (British) Open golf major.

ABC certainly has room to take on the Euro, but Euro is not the World Cup. It's appeal to the American audience is minimal.

In this country, Euro has been on only one terrestrial TV platform before: SIN, Univision's predecessor. That's how I watched the Euro in 1984 (when SIN's satellite transmissions of 2.5 hours cut off when Denmark X Spain went into penalties. That was pre-internet age so there is no other way to find out the score). It makes more sense for Disney to sub-licensethe the 8 games to Univision instead of putting them on ABC.

[joebloe888]

ABC certainly has room to take on the Euro, but Euro is not the World Cup. It's appeal to the American audience is minimal.

It makes more sense for Disney to sub-license the the 8 games to Univision instead of putting them on ABC.

I do NOT believe UEFA went through the trouble of courting ESPN, Inc. (i.e. John Skipper) so that ESPN would have the ability to sublicense the 8 Euro 2008 games to the likes of Univision.

I expect those 8 Euro 2008 games to end up live on ABC, with re-broadcasts on ESPNU, if and when ESPN, Inc. gets the deal done with UEFA and its agent. UEFA probably would put the "8 games live on ABC" requirement in the contract itself.

As for the ratings of Euro 2008 on ABC: a 1.0% average for the first 7 games, with a 1.5% rating for the final, should be achievable even with minimal promotion. A 2.0% rating for the final would be amazing given that Euro 2008 does NOT appeal to most American sports TV viewers.

(The 1999 Womens' World Cup final, with the US involved, got a 10% rating on ABC, while the 2003 Women's World Cup final got only a 1% rating on ABC because two European teams were involved.)

[BocaFan]

If true, it seems a bit preposterous on part of UEFA to come up with this new requirement. I can understand FIFA, but UEFA requiring terrestrial rights in places like USA, Canada, Australia?!?!?! :confused: Who do they think they are?

Yeah, I agree. "UEFA requires 8 matches on free TV" or else what???? What can they do? Take away our free Champions League? Oh wait... we don't have that to begin with. :rolleyes:

Anyway, this sounds like a rule that is targetted at UEFA nations, not the USA.

I just hope that ABC and ESPN don't end-up with the entire Euro 2008 package. Keep it on PPV (at least the majority of matches) and let us get proper coverage (read: British-feed) of this tournament.

[MasterShake29]

I just hope that ABC and ESPN don't end-up with the entire Euro 2008 package. Keep it on PPV (at least the majority of matches) and let us get proper coverage (read: British-feed) of this tournament.

And if anyone wants to do a study on why soccer isn't popular in the U.S., this could be Exhibit 1, a supposed soccer fan who doesn't want the sport to ever get off the ground here.

[geordienation]

I just hope that ABC and ESPN don't end-up with the entire Euro 2008 package. Keep it on PPV (at least the majority of matches) and let us get proper coverage (read: British-feed) of this tournament.


Good lord, that's a dumb idea.

[BocaFan]

We'll see how dumb it is when it becomes a reality.

Some would say having a baseball announcer broadcast European soccer games while having the TV screen cluttered with baseball scores during each match, is dumb.

Don't let the existing football fans down, Setanta. Up your price if you have to. Real fans will have no issues with paying $200 to watch the most competitive international tournament in football.

[geordienation]

Eurosnobs will have no issues with paying $200 to watch the most competitive international tournament in football.


Fixed

[MasterShake29]

We'll see how dumb it is when it becomes a reality.

Some would say having a baseball announcer broadcast European soccer games while having the TV screen cluttered with baseball scores during each match, is dumb.

Don't let the existing football fans down, Setanta. Up your price if you have to. Real fans will have no issues with paying $200 to watch the most competitive international tournament in football.

Yes, let's leave soccer to "real" fans, i.e. fans who pass BocaFan's definition, whatever that may be. Let's not do stupid things like grow the game, which airing the match on ABC or ESPN might do.

And I have a huge issue with paying $200 for an international tournament, so I guess I'm not a real fan.

[Cassano]

I heard Setanta was going after the Euros. Very interesting..... I hope there is a major bidding war.

Setanta always have the Euro rights, they had the last 2 Euros on PPV for that $200 package that everyone is talking about with British coverage.

If ESPN do get the Euros, let's hope they make Derek Rae announce since he does Champions League, which is the other European thing ESPN shows, so naturally he'd be first choice right?

I don't want to hear Marcelo Balboa messing up player's names and saying "Look, this is what you have to do....that was a good foul....etc...."

[BocaFan]

Let's not do stupid things like grow the game, which airing the match on ABC or ESPN might do.


Well, that's just it. I don't believe that showing this tournament on ESPN/ABC will grow the sport in America.

So the next best-thing is to have all the matches available to us LIVE and broadcasted properly, which ESPN/ABC isn't capable of.

[Cassano]

Well, that's just it. I don't believe that showing this tournament on ESPN/ABC will grow the sport in America.

So the next best-thing is to have all the matches available to us LIVE and broadcasted properly, which ESPN/ABC isn't capable of.

true, I don't see how ESPN could/would air every match live like they did with the World Cup....

[OldFanatic]

true, I don't see how ESPN could/would air every match live like they did with the World Cup....

Euro 96 was carried pretty much entirely LIVE on ESPN + ESPN2 combined together. Nothing was on ABC back then though. This is probably the first time I'm hearing of a Euro competition on (terrestrial) ABC.

[MasterShake29]

Well, that's just it. I don't believe that showing this tournament on ESPN/ABC will grow the sport in America.

Well, it will be on in bars and restaurants that show ABC and ESPN as a matter of course.

Euro 2004 got a lot of play in my area thanks to Portugal hosting. Think some of those people reading those stories might have actually watched the final if it was on TV? Nah, no chance of that.

So the next best-thing is to have all the matches available to us LIVE and broadcasted properly, which ESPN/ABC isn't capable of.

You must hate the CL broadcasts then.

So you prefer that the broadcast be catered to you, even if it means 99.999% of the country won't see it.

Yeah, that's brilliant.

[MasterShake29]

true, I don't see how ESPN could/would air every match live like they did with the World Cup....

Why not? What else is on besides baseball?

If they can do it for the World Cup, they can do it for the Euros. It's the same time frame.