How long do GOL TV have the La Liga rights in the USA?

[bigdan]

It seems a BIG league for GOL TV to have the exclusive LIVE rights! It is then weakened with CRAP announcers! Is there not a chance that one of the other BIG networks would want to take on La LIGA? My question I guess is how long do GOL TV have La LIGA secure for? Thanks!

[djpower]

ESPN is already pumping resources for the league but they will probably delay games like they do here. Last round the only way to watch the Barca and Real Madrid game live was via ESPN HD which my provider does not offer. so I had to wait untill ESPN Pacific Rim showed it on delay. I would not mind games being exclusive to the HD channel just as long as they make it available to everyone

[AndSomeAreAngels]

It seems a BIG league for GOL TV to have the exclusive LIVE rights! It is then weakened with CRAP announcers! Is there not a chance that one of the other BIG networks would want to take on La LIGA? My question I guess is how long do GOL TV have La LIGA secure for? Thanks!

I love GolTV. Ray Hudson is awesome and they're one of the pioneers in providing live coverage of the Euro domestic leagues. They may not have many financial resources, nor the production value, but at least they're giving us something we never had before, which is the top games in La Liga each week, live. ESPN doesn't do much more than them - Derek and Tommy are always in the studio in Bristol, CT.

They may not be perfect, but they do provide American soccer fans with good soccer coverage.

[Real Corona]

I love GolTV. Ray Hudson is awesome and they're one of the pioneers in providing live coverage of the Euro domestic leagues. They may not have many financial resources, nor the production value, but at least they're giving us something we never had before, which is the top games in La Liga each week, live. ESPN doesn't do much more than them - Derek and Tommy are always in the studio in Bristol, CT.

They may not be perfect, but they do provide American soccer fans with good soccer coverage.


Pardon??

[REBOLLOS]

GolTv is now a new channel in Spain carrying many soccer leagues under spanish company Mediapro, Mediapro has the international LIGA rights, and they sold LA LIGA rights to GOLTV for the last 6 seasons, so I think is clear who will have the rights of LA LIGA for years to come, right CONSTANTINO????

[huhe888]

You guys are confusing MEDIAPRO's "Gol TV" and Tenfield's "GolTV".

They are two separate companies.

Tenfield's "GolTV", which operates in the U.S. and Latin America (and operated by Insight Sports in Canada under license) buys La Liga video rights from MEDIAPRO.

MEDIAPRO runs "Gol TV" in Spain.

Note the difference in the names: GolTV is NOT the same as Gol TV.

[Makandal]

Pardon??

I don't know about awesome but I find him quite good. I rather listen to him than what FSC offers in term of their own hired commentators. The guy who usually do the games with Hudson though needs to be replaced.

[djpower]

I love GolTV. Ray Hudson is awesome and they're one of the pioneers in providing live coverage of the Euro domestic leagues. They may not have many financial resources, nor the production value, but at least they're giving us something we never had before, which is the top games in La Liga each week, live. ESPN doesn't do much more than them - Derek and Tommy are always in the studio in Bristol, CT.

They may not be perfect, but they do provide American soccer fans with good soccer coverage.

Well for ESPN to start covering the La Liga in the USA all they have to do is pay for the rights and hit a few button because the rest is already been done

Commercials
http://youtube.com/watch?v=r6M3fiF4bdg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=taWVbSdtkLE

Commentary
http://youtube.com/watch?v=edjjrArSV00 (Dave Roberts & Dave Roberts)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KRuXnZdUgh8 (JP & Tommy Smyth)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iK2lmrcpcmY (Derek Rae & Tommy)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E1yGJI1Hu1w (Dave Roberts & Robbie Mustoe)

there is just a few of there commentary combo some are good and some are not so good. There are some other commentators that mainly do Serie A games that people in the US can access via ESPN360 and there are some other casuals that do a few games here and there but Derek and Tommy are the main pair they use for the big games

[cdmphy]

I love GolTV. Ray Hudson is awesome and they're one of the pioneers in providing live coverage of the Euro domestic leagues. They may not have many financial resources, nor the production value, but at least they're giving us something we never had before, which is the top games in La Liga each week, live. ESPN doesn't do much more than them - Derek and Tommy are always in the studio in Bristol, CT.

And Ray and Phil are in the studio in Miami. Unless you think they jet from Stuttgart to Madrid every Saturday. :p

[huhe888]

Well for ESPN to start covering the La Liga in the USA all they have to do is pay for the rights and hit a few button

That would make no sense from a business perspective.

The only weekend European domestic league that makes any sense for the ESPN networks in the U.S., if ESPN Inc. were to either 1) buy out Setanta Sports Limited and perhaps rebrand Setanta Sports USA as "ESPN World", or 2) add a weekend morning live soccer product to ESPN Classic U.S., is English Premier League (EPL).

In the U.S., English-speaking international soccer viewers tend to watch EPL on weekends, while Spanish-speaking soccer viewers tend to watch the Mexican First Division on weekends.

(Note: the Mexican First Division now commands almost $200 million a year in video rights fees from the U.S. market alone now that NBC Universal/Telemundo has decided to splash the big money to outbid Univision Communications for 70% of the Televisa package for October-December 2008: home games for Chivas Guadalajara, Atlante, Atlas, Monterrey, Pumas, Tigres, and Toluca.)

The Spanish Primera Division, which will be asking for about $20 million in U.S. video rights fee per season starting with the 2009-2010 season, is way overpriced in my opinion.

La Liga doesn't bring in enough TV viewers in the U.S. to drive enough 1) subscription demand (to make sure that a channel maintains its place on a distribution platform, as GolTV found out the hard way when DISH Network dumped GolTV on August 1), or 2) advertising sales (Real Madrid vs Barcelona draws less than 200,000 TV viewers) in my opinion to justify its asking price.

ESPN Deportes currently simulcasts one Mexican First Division match each week from the Azteca package, usually live.

[Real Corona]

And Ray and Phil are in the studio in Miami. Unless you think they jet from Stuttgart to Madrid every Saturday. :p

They have a supersonic jet transformer that transports them instantly from Barcelona to Madrid and onwards to Germany. Unfortunately their still analyzing the possible side affect of brain damage on the announcers.

[FWS93]

if they put la liga on ESPN or FSC they we will have less games, i hope gol tv keeps the rights, this way i can seegmore than just real and barca, also how annoying is it whebn you watch a delayed game on ESPN and they start speeding up the action? i hate that and they do it all the time, or they show all the halftime highlights but cut the first 5 minutes of the second half

[YankBastard]

Yeah you're right about that. ******** ESPN. The only main things I would like to see changed on goltv when they show games is we need to hear more of the crowd. It's almost fully muted.

[La_Liga]

I love GOL TV. Espn would just be utter hell and would prioritize over American sports and show game son delay


They finally got rid of the Mexie Vargas he was the worst announcer covering the premium Liga games



KEEP GOL TV . I could care less about their quality programming as long as they give us satellite live feed games

[YankBastard]

Vargas. Is he the one with that deep voice?

[La_Liga]

umm theres couple of em with deep voices. He was the one that co hosted the Mexico lindo show which got cancelle . Terrible show BTW


He was given the primary gig last season as soon as Sammy Kerida left for Telemundo unfortunately. He would narrate the primary games such as when Barca and Real played for the most part. Thats when I would switch over to English. I dont mind Ray Hudson excpet for the fact of his love for Madrid and the galacticos love fest

[tadm123]

I don't know about awesome but I find him quite good. I rather listen to him than what FSC offers in term of their own hired commentators. The guy who usually do the games with Hudson though needs to be replaced.
agreed Ray Hudson is the only reason I watch commentaries in English, that guy is awesome and really gets into the game ;o
gS6Np-g_h5w

[DLee]

My distaste for Hudson would go down by 50% if he lost his "aye! aye!" shtick every time there's a half-chance. What the hell does that add to the game?

I don't mind him at all when actual full sentances come out of his mouth.

[bigdan]

The best La Liga announcer without doubt was Paul Breen-Turner who for many years did the top games live from Spain (not sure where to find a clip of him on the web?) anyone know where he is now days? GOL TV used him when they did not have in house announcers, go figure that, the guy is a legend and GOL TV decide they have better in house guys? Jeez!

[tadm123]

My distaste for Hudson would go down by 50% if he lost his "aye! aye!" shtick every time there's a half-chance. What the hell does that add to the game?

I don't mind him at all when actual full sentances come out of his mouth.
the guy is passionate, unlike the majority of American commentators