Does ESPN still have the contract? If so, I assume we're only going to get one game per game day, and that only in the late stages. :-(
ESPN2 showed at least one game on each matchday (not counting qualifying rounds since those rights belong to the individual clubs involved). ESPN Deportes and Setanta will have more coverage.
Yep, something like that. ESPN Deportes and Setanta should combine for about 6-7 games a week, though only a couple can be shown live since the games are usually played simultaneously. ESPN 2 will have 1 "A" game per round. They've added more in the past, probably to make certain of fulfilling the contract, but the launch of Setanta Channel, which pays good money for games involving Man U and other popular teams, probably now renders it unnecessary. The contract expires after the 2005-2006 season, so I suspect this could well be it as far as any free Champions League coverage unless Adidas really wants to foot a big chunk of the bill for games that draw fewer than 200,000 people. ESPN and Setanta shouldn't have too much of a problem redoing the contract to split the Spanish and non-Spanish TV rights.
I recall seeing a few of their soccer ads during the late rounds of the competition over the last two years. Nobody else has ever come close to buying ads that air specifically during Champions League competition.
man, i hope espn dont get rights for the games after this year, give it to FSC or goltv, i like espn but only if they show atleast at least 2 games a week
I'm still hoping for ESPN Deportes to get to my area, If that could ever happen. If you are lucky enough to get that, you can see most matches. ESPN2 will still show some, but isn't this the last year of their coverage? One of us should ask Oliver Tse at soccerTV.com. He would know.
By "give it to FSC or goltv", do you mean ESPN pays for the rights and give the games to FSC or goltv for free? ESPN can make good money from the sublicensing of the games to Setanta, DFH and other ethnic channels, not to mention it's the major inventory for ESPN Deportes, why should it give up the CL? If ESPN can't renew the CL rights, it's most likely Setanta will grab it and put them on close-circuit for ready $$$$, and on their $12/month Setanta USA channel. Why do you think FSC or Goltv can outbid Setanta and put it on a widely available digital cable/DBS channel, and recoup the money thru' a non-existing advertising model? I hope Setanta will get the exclusive rights on CL from 2006-07 on, put it on pubs close-circuit and on Setanta Sports USA. I can't wait to see how you whiners feel about "ESPN no longer carries the CL". And the CL final will only be available on: - ESPN Deportes - Setanta close-circuit - same-day delayed on Setanta Sports USA That would be the perfect destiny for you whiners...
MLS, Serie A, la Liga, World Cup, Copa Libertadores, Bundesliga, EPL, which one of it isn't football? How many have you watched so far this year? Oh, you mean only Champions League is football? or since CL is also available on Setanta Sports USA, a channel you can easily get if you are willing to fork out the dough ($12/month on Directv), do you mean only CL on ESPN2 is counted as football?
Look. If you think we who just want to watch the world's premier club football tournament in our homes without having to pay outrageous fees for obscure channels are nothing but "whiners," what in the world are you doing on this site? Surely you like football. Surely you don't like to pay exorbitant sums to watch it. Of course not everything said is practical, but you're taking the Devil's Advocate role to the extreme here. If you don't like people complaining about the coverage, don't read the threads.
To bash whiners like you who insanely imply that "no CL on ESPN2" == "no football on TV in the USA"... I like football. I am also realistic enough to know that the brand of football I like is not shared by the majority of viewers in this country. In other words, paying for niche content is no big deal. If you don't want to pay, there is always baseball/American football/basketball on free TV. Why do you even bother to pay cable fee at all? afterall, ESPN2 is not free... Why not? I have been bashing you whiners for your unrealistic whinings for years. If you don't like getting picked on for nonsensical comments, just think before you post...
Exactly! ESPN will be liked around here if and only if they show two matches per CL matchday. Who'd have thought it?
Show me where I implied that, and then maybe you'll have a point. But neither are tractor-pulling, bass fishing, spelling bees, high school cheerleading contests, hot dog eating contests, or much of the other garbage they try to pass off as "sports." I haven't said anything nonsensical. Nor do I feel like I'm being picked on. Unlike many posters in here, I do think before I post. I'll give you that the CL is very much a niche product. It would be stupid to deny that. However, ESPN and its subsidiaries like to call themselves "The WORLDWIDE Leader in SPORTS. Rarely do they air products that don't originate in this country, violating the first italicized word. Secondly, a fair amount, most even, of the trash they show on weekday afternoons is NOT sports. Not even close. The CL is probably the most popular professional, non-international sporting event in the world. ESPN has no business using the slogan they do until they live up to it.
All you can ask for is access. I agree that espn sucks. I have dish network so I cant get Setanta- but would gladly pay to receive it. I have no idea how to get espn deportes but would love to have it. Direct tv and dish net have never heard of it.
Your own word: "Forgive us for wanting to watch football." Wanting to watch football? which brand of football you want to watch that aren't available in the U.S.? Talk to me again when diehard expats are willing to pay $$$$ to watch tractor-pulling, bass fishing, spelling bees, etc. I mean, ESPN shunning the CL is not because they hate the CL, it's because they can make more money by selling it to someone else... And having ESPN Latin America, ESPN Sur, ESPN Europe, ESPN Asia, ESPN PacRim ESPN Israel, ESPN India, ESPN Taiwan, as well as one called ESPN Orbit(?) etc. how isn't it worldwide leaders of sports? Talk to me again when you get Sky Sports Latin America, Sky Sports Taiwan, Sky Sports PacRim, Sky Sports Israel, Sky Sports Orbit, Sky Sports Sur, etc. or substitute "Sky Sports" with EuroSports, Guangdong Sports, (Thailand) SuperSports, TyC Sports, etc. Or are you that naive to think that "Worldwide leader in Sports" == broadcast niche contents to satisfy a small % of viewers? Have you ever watched ESPN Asia? Where does the cricket on ESPN India come from? California? Texas? "rarely"? what a laugh... Yeah, and there are many diehard expats willing to pay extra $$$$$ to watch these games (either in bars or on Setanta USA). Why do you think you are entitled to watch them for free (after paying your cable bill)? They sure do live up to it. Who defines "worldwide leaders of sports" == "broadcast niche contents to satisfy all whiners"? I mean, having the presense on that many continents satisfying the "local" viewers aren't enough?
And why can't you get Setanta because you have dish? Is there a law that says when you have Dish Network, you can't get Globecast or DirecTV? Ever heard of people getting programming from multiple carriers?
The simple fact is CL football should be played on ESPN2. Showing stupid poker tournaments 2 years old is a joke. Yes they get more money but why not show just 2 games per gameday, that would make things much better and wouldn't destroy Setanta and ESPN's profit. But I won't complain. Four years ago I was lucky to see an EPL game off of Fox Sports en Espanol with a day delay, and now I have Serie A, and La Liga on GOLTV and EPL, LIGUE UN, ARGENTINE PREMIERA,and the BUNDESLIGA on FSC so things are much better. How can I get Setanta? Just wondering...
Why? who determine the "should" here? It wouldn't. But not showing the 2nd game wouldn't destroy Setanta nor ESPN's profit neither. So the question remains, why show it? The easy way? DirecTV The hobbyists' way? Globecast like I do. Don't have to pay DirecTV's extortion of subbing a basic package to get Setanta. Just $11.99 per month.